Vera’s message lives on
Residents of a Paisley care home are thrilled the Queen’s message to the nation on Sunday picked up exactly on their own war-time spirit of endurance.
Her Majesty evoked Vera Lynn’s World War II classic We’ll Meet Again in her address about the coronavirus crisis, in which she told everyone the country will come through it in the end.
Last week, we revealed that the residents of the Royal Blind’s Jenny’s Well care home had recorded a rousing video version of the song.
A spokesman for Royal Blind said yesterday:“The Queen said Britons are tackling this crisis together.
“Nowhere is that more true than in Paisley, at Jenny’s Well care home.”
Stephanie Kirkwood, an activities coordinator at Jenny’s Well, said key workers were picking up extra shifts, covering colleagues who needed to self-isolate.
“We’re all mucking in,”Stephanie said.“Everyone’s helping out, where we can. Care staff are picking up extra shifts, where possible.
“Activity staff are helping out in the kitchen if they’re needed.
“Everyone is helping everyone else and working incredibly hard to keep our residential and nursing care services operating.”
Stephanie explained that Jenny’s Well staff in nursing, care and activity roles are taking extra precautions to minimise their contact with people outside the care centre, reducing their likelihood of picking up coronavirus.
“I’ve not seen my grandparents, or my parents, in three weeks,”she said.
“I’m not going out anywhere, so
I’m not in contact with other people.
“You don’t want to be the one who brings it in. Week three, it’s become normality. You’re making extra sure everything is really safe.”
A‘social distanced tea party’was organised for residents, helping them to socialise safely.
Seated four metres apart as an extra precaution, residents took their tea in groups of three.
Stephanie said:“These tea parties give residents a chance to socialise and have a chat with the other residents.
“We’ll have a maximum of three residents, with double the recommended distance between them. Our care staff are helping and serving the tea.
“Afternoon tea parties bring back a sense of normality because we used to hold many group activities here, before the coronavirus pandemic.
“Now, they can have a chat with the other residents, safely.”
Stephanie said Jenny’s Well staff are finding new ways to entertain residents and to keep them in contact with loved ones.
“We’ve been facilitating phone and video calls with our residents’ family members, who are unable to visit due to the coronavirus pandemic,”she said.
“We know it’s incredibly hard for everyone in our care not to have face-to-face contact with loved ones at the moment.
“Obviously it’s a serious time, but we’re trying to lift everyone’s spirits.
“I am feeling very proud to be a part of the Royal Blind community and supporting our residents through this trying time.”