WE’LL MEET AGAIN GARDEN
A sheltered housing manager - who lost one of her residents to Covid-19 and watched in fear as others suffered mental health problems as a result of isolation - came up with a innovative way for relatives to visit.
A special gazebo covered with perspex sheets was set up in the garden of the Abbeyfield, in Stirling, with relatives able to sit and have a cup of tea safely with their loved ones.
Manager Vikki Ferguson said: “We had had cases of Covid-19 within our house and sadly lost one of our residents.
“This really took its toll on the other residents, as well as fearful family members.
“After weeks of not having any cases I started to notice my residents’ mental health was really going downhill, with some refusing to even leave their rooms, others withdrawing and going into depression, others losing their appetite and unwilling to eat.
“This really upset me. I thought if Covid doesn’t get them depression will.”
Vikki then came up the idea.
She asked her dad to put perspex sheets on a frame and it had it fitted into a gazebo which was in the house garden.
“This allows the visit to take place outside without physical touching and while still social distancing,” said Vikki. “The resident enters from the house and the visitor through the garden gate, so there is never any physical contact.
“I discussed the idea and arranged it with family members who would like to visit. Families were informed they could only visit on a Wednesday and Saturday. This had to be booked in advance and the visit would only be for half an hour so the hub could be washed with alcohol wipes after each visit.
“On the visits the resident has a cup of tea and the family member has one too in a throwaway cup that they take away with them.”
Since the idea took root, there has been a marked difference in the residents’ demeanours.
“What a turnaround. It was like they had been given a new lease of life,” said Vikki, “and now they have something to look forward to each week.
“I am aware that this may not be sustainable to all care homes, but maybe other small places could do something like this too.”
Resident Bobby MacLeod, who was visited
on Saturday by daughter Fiona Stark and grandson Jack, said: “I enjoy using it to see my family. It’s something I look forward to.”
Another resident said: “I look forward to seeing my daughter in the garden hub every week. It cheers me up, it’s fantastic.”