‘A wonderful surprise’
Residence at Hilltop tenant, 91, hugs daughter for 1st time since August
Ernest “Ernie” Flick’s jaw dropped and his hands shot out in surprise Thursday after he entered his room at The Residence at Hilltop assisted living facility in Washington County.
His daughter, Cherrie Rastoka, was awaiting his return — a visit that marked the first time the two had seen each other without being separated by a Plexiglas window since he moved to the facility in August.
“I didn’t expect this visit, and now it’s happened and it was such a wonderful surprise,” the 91-yearold Korean War veteran said. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”
Not since the pandemic began last year had The Residence at Hilltop relaxed strict policies and allowed loved ones to physically hug their relatives and spend time inside their rooms. The facility’s
director of nursing, Kim Taliani, said the long months of suspended visitation were disappointing, but she described the staff and residents as “one big family.”
Ms. Rastoka and her father were not alone in their isolation. Nursing and personal care homes across the country have had to enforce isolation policies to protect people from the health risks associated with COVID- 19. Many have watched on camera as their loved ones died, unable to physically be with them because of government recommendations to lessen virus exposure.
“He kept saying, ‘I can’t wait until you can visit me in my room,’” Ms. Rastoka said while sitting with her father Thursday. “I never wanted to give him false hope, because the virus numbers keep going up and down.
“[The facility] allows visits, but they mainly consisted of us talking through Plexiglas. We had visits once a month and you had to sign up and get so much done before the visit, and then we couldn’t hug him, so it has been tough.”
The personal care home on Thursday allowed scheduled one-hour visitations between 9 and 11 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. Visits could include up to two family members. Since the visitation ban began March 13, 2020, visits had been conducted on FaceTime, Zoom and behind windows.
Officials said the facility had been following recommendations for indoor visitation outlined by the Department of Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“My father doesn’t have very many family members, there’s just me and his immediate family,” said Ms. Rastoka, 64, of Bentleyville. “My mom passed away and my sister passed away [prior to pandemic], so it’s just me. He has one granddaughter and she came to visit for his birthday in September.”
Mr. Flick sat in his wheelchair near a window in his quaint room Thursday, dressed in a black and yellow Steelers shirt, a Pirates cap atop his head. Those teams are his favorites, he said.
“I also love chocolate-covered cherries and cherry pie,” Mr. Flick said with a grin. Playing bingo on Sundays and attending church every other week at the care home are some of his most anticipated activities, he said.
“I have won bingo only once, and those ladies keep winning all the games,” he said. “I love singing ‘Old Rugged Cross’ at church, it was my mother’s favorite song.”
Before being allowed to visit Thursday, everyone had to pass a general health screening before entering, and masks had to be worn at all times — even among those who had been vaccinated. The Residence at Hilltop is home to 60 residents, served by 50 full- and part-time employees. Care home officials said 99% of the residents and 85% of staff had been vaccinated.
Mr. Flick was vaccinated in January, his daughter said.
Visitors had to stay in the residents’ rooms at all times during the visits.
Mr. Flick had worked at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Works for 33 years before retiring more than a decade ago, his daughter said. He was a medic during the Korean War, helping to prep patients for exams.
Luckily for Mr. Flick, he’s not totally alone at the care home. His sister and brother-in-law moved into the home about a month before he did in August. Mr. Flick previously lived at Cambridge Hillside Senior Living in Charleroi, his daughter said.
“When we first came here [to Hilltop], I told staff I just want them to love him, and that’s exactly how they treat him here,” Ms. Rastoka said.
“Today I was finally able to show him what I have been feeling in my heart all these months with a big hug.”
“When we first came here [to Hilltop], I told staff I just want them to love him, and that’s exactly how they treat him here. Today I was finally able to show him what I have been feeling in my heart all these months with a big hug.” Cherrie Rastoka