Gratitude
This week we’ve experienced the worst of this crisis, but we have also seen the very best in people as they step up to offer care and support to Search. We are blessed to have friends like Kathy Brown, Nanette Wrobel, and all the staff at TarryTown Pharmacy. This week, they dropped off 29 bags (enough for all of our homes) filled with art supplies, craft projects, card games, and much more. They also donated 50 cloth masks for our staff.
Our friends at Domino’s Pizza on Oakton St. also donated pizzas to our homes located near their store. We didn’t have to ask, they simply saw a way to help and stepped up.
This week, our physical plan manager, Shawn Kirby, and Tom Schell bought smiley face cookies (in masks no less!) from their local bakery, and packaged them in gift bags to send to our homes.
Amanda Cox and her Facebook group, Superhero Masks, are making and donating masks for us to use and they’re not alone. Sue Gumm, Debbie Larson, Cindee Frederick Crosby, Sharon Grubb Anderson, Charlene Zearfoss, and Mags Bouffard have also made cloth masks for us to share with our staff. Additionally, Cheryl Rickerd donated surgical masks and Joe Dentzer donated 4 gallons of Sporicidin, which we have been using to disinfect our sites.
So many of you have been sending in birthday cards to our residents with birthdays in April to help make their day extra special. It has been so successful, that we’re going to ask our supporters to send in cards for our May birthdays. We’ll distribute those names next week.
We are so thankful for everyone and every business and organization which has offered their support in our time of need. Please know that your generosity means everything. Your compassion and kindness bring light and hope to us even during our darkest days. This week we have greatly needed light, so
on behalf of everyone at Search, thank you!
Using technology to broaden our horizons without leaving home.
Search is supporting over 170 individuals at 29 CILA homes during this shelter-at-home period. Search is aggressively pursuing technology solutions to help our residents and staff stay connected and engaged during the stay at home order.
Search has now deployed 29 Facebook Portal devices to our homes and our Clinical Services site for use by our nursing staff. Individuals continue to use these devices to connect via video calls with their families and loved ones, their primary care physicians, other healthcare providers, and clinical and nursing staff. We have also made the “Work Chat” cellphone app available so that staff members can stay connected with each other and homes.
We are using Zoom to engage with our residents in fun activities and learning opportunities. A schedule is distributed weekly and has included a daily morning wake-up workout we call “Zoom-Ba”, book club, virtual experiences like a virtual tour of the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, crafting, Bingo, question & answer town halls, and more. We are also collaborating with Maine-Niles Association of Special Recreation to bring special activities right into our homes. Each day we are providing multiple opportunities for individuals to participate in enriching experiences within the safety of their homes.