Tablets connect residents with care and loved ones
In March 2020, COVID-19 created chaos. Only essential caregivers could enter Providence Benedictine Nursing Center and Orchard House Assisted Living. Residents were suddenly isolated from their families and were asked to minimize contact with one another as well.
This change was devastating to the well-being of our residents. In addition to the sudden separation from families and friends, many medical appointments were cancelled.
Thanks to your generosity, the Providence Benedictine team purchased electronic tablets to connect patients and residents with their families and friends. One long-term resident whose husband visited regularly before the pandemic was able to connect with him weekly and with her sister who lives in Germany. A long-term resident with cognitive impairment overcame her isolation and re-engaged through virtual visits with a brother in California. A mother was able to talk with her out-of-state daughter, who took her on a virtual tour of her garden.
The tablets also allowed virtual medical appointments that otherwise would have been cancelled, enabling primary care physicians to visit patients without entering the building.
“The tablets helped make an incredibly difficult year more bearable,” said Emily Dazey, Providence Benedictine Nursing Center director.
