(NBC 26) - A new video is hoping to give community members an inside look at what it's like inside a nursing home during the pandemic for both residents and long-term care workers.
With several restrictions in place for visiting long-term care facilities right now, LeadingAge Wisconsin is sharing photos from inside their care facilities. It's part of an effort to remember those who are taking care of our parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors.
"They can't replace family, but they're de facto family for residents," said John Sauer, the President and CEO of LeadingAge Wisconsin. "They're the ones holding their hands; they're the one with them at mealtime; they're the ones who comfort them as we all fight depression, but in the long-term care facility, without these heroes of cargiving, I can only imagine where our elderly population would be."
Sauer is encouraging others to use technology to stay in touch with loved ones.
To watch the full, heartwarming video, click here.
Sauer adds, "the fact that a facility might have COVID-19 in the building should not be viewed as a sign of failure. It should be a sign of about the devastation and pervasiveness of the virus. But realize people of a certain age might bounce back more quickly, and not even be hospitalized with COVID-19; but for our elderly population, it's often a different story. So it's very difficult to keep the virus away, but our staff are doing everything they can."
