Morning Pointe residents reunite with families thanks to ‘visitation booths’
KCaulder@CalhounTimes.com
Residents at Calhoun’s Morning Pointe Senior Living facility are reconnecting with their families for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Gordon County, thanks to the introduction of new Plexiglas “visitation booths” that allow visitors to meet their family member face-to-face without compromising social distancing protocols in place to protect residents.
Life Enrichment Director Keisha Cox said the booths have already “helped tremendously” in terms of morale in Calhoun.
“We haven’t had any cases of COVID in our building, but we have suffered in another way with our residents not being able to have as much companionship. They haven’t been able to hug their family members or go out to dinner with them, it’s just been them talking through notes held up to their windows,” Cox said. “So, this has already helped tremendously. Things are really looking up around here.”
The Calhoun facility has been using its visitation booths for about a week and a half. Cox said while families still are not able to hug during visits, she can always tell when a resident has gotten to spend that bit of extra time with their family. It changes their entire mood.
“The rest of their day just seems perfect. They can’t stop smiling,” Cox said. “It’s been a huge blessing for them. We’ve seen so many families come in to take advantage of it, and I hope that continues. I hope the support from the community continues as well.”
Cox said that residents from across Calhoun and Gordon County have stepped in to really make a difference in the lives of those living at Morning Pointe. Hundreds of masks and gloves have been donated, as have things like crossword puzzles, sudoku games and books. Those gifts have made a huge difference to Morning Pointe residents in recent weeks, she said, when their usual group activities have been exchanged for solo ones.
“It’s been hard because we don’t have the group activities we had before going on right now because we can’t. So, it’s a lot more one-on-one stuff with me spending time with each of them individually and sometimes getting them together in small groups, practicing social distancing and wearing masks, of course, but it’s not the same,” Cox said. “So we are thankful to everyone who has taken the time to think of our residents and what they need, and we are extremely thankful for our visitors. It means a lot to us.”
Families can contact Morning Pointe of Calhoun Business Office Manager Rebecca Williams at 706-629-0777 to schedule a time at the visitation booth. Booths are sanitized after each use and every person must wear a face mask while visiting.
Morning Pointe of Calhoun is located at 660 Jolly Road N.W.