Nursing home helps residents feel as snug as a bug in a rug
THE CareChoice Ballynoe Nursing Home in White Church has created a unique and creative way for their residents who are cocooning to see and talk to their loved ones, family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently there are 50 residents living in the Ballynoe home, who began to feel the effects of isolation from family following visitor restrictions as per the HSE guidance.
The home has been closed to visitors for 90 days and counting.
Director of Nursing, Gráinne Henson, described the snug as “a lean-to, replicating a sitting room for residents to meet their loved ones through the protection of a closed window”.
“It allows residents to safely see and talk to their loved ones whilst maintaining all the social distancing requirements of visitor restrictions,” said Gráinne.
With all residents, including those with dementia in mind, the snug is designed to look like a sitting room and promotes the feel of residents being in the same room as their visitors, as they look out of the window at colourful wallpaper and walls decorated with everyday items you would find in any sitting room; a clock, chairs and side table.
Outside the window are several high stools for families to sit on, relax and catch up with their loved ones, blow kisses through the window, even celebrate a birthday in style with the cutting of a birthday cake together.
“Most of the work was done by staff in preparation for the lockdown, but residents have also been involved, including designing and making a wall piece called ‘shine the light’ erected on the wall of the sitting room snug.
Every day, a number of families who live within the 5km radius visit the snug, so much so that a booking system is now in place to facilitate contact,” said Gráinne.
The snug was the brain-child of maintenance worker Brian Kelleher, who had the idea after he noticed that a few people came to the window to see their elderly relatives and left in tears as they couldn’t hear or speak to each other.
To ease their heartache, some families would stand in the rain just to see their loved ones for a few moments.
Responding to the essential need for socially distanced contact, the snug now provides a lifeline for families to visit whilst fully complying with HSE restrictions. Visitors are protected from wind, rain or sun with by fully roofed lean-to, which is wiped clean after every use.
“Since it’s hasty erection at the start of the crisis, the snug has developed and improved as time has passed, and now includes a speaker system to facilitate people on different sides of the window to chat to each other about family and everyday stuff, just as they would during a regular visit,” said Gráinne.
This week the home unveiled a replica ‘Bansky ‘style street art piece on the perimeter of the snug, to welcome families on their arrival.
The piece was designed by Marie Dilworth from the activities team and shows a person handing a heart from the upstairs window to a person in the window downstairs.
“The passing of the heart from window to window symbolises what our home is all about, trusting the care of a loved one’s heart and happiness in these crisis times,” said Gráinne.
She said the snug was one of several ways her dedicated team of staff had sought to mitigate the negative impact of social isolation during the crisis. In addition to the snug, which is unfortunately limited to families who can visit without breaking travel restrictions, every family receives daily photos and/ or a video call from their loved one, to reassure them that they are happy and comfortable but missing them.
There are currently two mobile phones in constant use for this purpose with designated staff allocated to working with calls and snug visits only.
“If we can in any way improve our residents’ experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic we will. The easing of restrictions has now allowed us to say to more families ‘welcome to the snug, pull up a high stool, chat and create new memories with your loved one,’” said Gráinne.