The Pine Grove Care Centre in Kamloops organized a COVID-safe candlelight event called Love Light Connection to connect residents to their loved ones.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Wendy Romanowski
October 26, 2020 - 7:00 AM
A Kamloops long-term care home went above and beyond to connect their residents with their loved ones last week.
The staff at Pine Grove Care Centre organized a COVID-safe candlelight event called Love Light Connection Oct. 16.
Twenty family members brought candles and came to see the seniors through the windows from outside the home.
"Inside the home, we had 250 little tea lights, the residents held them at the window," co-organizer Wendy Romanowski said. "We did a parade from the front of our home around the the back, went to all the windows and the main dining room."
Twenty family members brought candles and came to see the seniors through the windows from outside Pine Grove Care Centre.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Wendy Romanowski
As live music played outside, families and residents waved to each other and held their candles high.
"Some of them put their hands on the windows, it was pretty incredible," Romanowski said. "The residents are still talking about it, asking 'when are we going to do it again?’"
She added they will plan another safe event for the seniors and their families closer to Christmas.
She said the staff are supporting their residents during the pandemic as best they can, ensuring they can have as many safe visits as they like.
As live music played outside the Pine Grove Care Centre families and residents waved to each other and held their candles high.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Wendy Romanowski
"Extra staff was hired through the province to support visiting, for the families to stay connected to their loved ones," she said. "Staff come in late, they come back off their shift just to make that happens. It’s incredible."
Visiting has been a priority for the staff to ensure their residents aren't feeling lonely or abandoned, as it has been one of the biggest challenges of the pandemic in other long-term care homes.
Romanowski said they offer window and outside visits, Skype, FaceTime and phone calls.
"We like to do whatever we can to make the residents' lives better each day," she said.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Brie Welton or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2020