LONG-DELAYED REUNION
POCOPSON » After more than five months apart, family members finally reunited with their loved ones at Chester County Pocopson Home.
“It was very hard,” said Darlene Jenkins of Avondale. “But, I continued to call every day.”
Her mother, Ivery Jenkins, 88, is a resident of the Pocopson Home. She moved to the facility after suffering a fall and experiencing early signs of dementia, which required additional care, Jenkins said.
Then on Aug. 21, the county-run senior citizen assisted living facility founded in 1951, opened the grounds to visitations between residents and their families again.
Jenkins said Pocopson Home provided her with updates on her mother’s well-being whenever she called whilst visitation rights were suspended.
“The nurses and the staff were awesome,” Jenkins said. She added that the social workers helped her connect with her mom via FaceTime.
Jenkins described visiting day as “an emotional day.” The reunion marked the end of a traumatic period. It had been 161 days and 42 minutes since she had last seen her mother in-person. Jen
kins brought her daughter, Danielle Jones, along for the visit.
Pocopson Home is limiting visitations to two visitors per resident at this juncture. And visitations are taking place outside only under tented areas.
“They wanted to make sure everything was safe and secure for the resident,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins added her mom had a job at Poposcon Home, which was praying for everyone.
“She’s a very faith driven woman,” Jenkins said of her mother.
Ivery Jenkins was born on Dec. 1, 1932 in West Grove. Her husband, James Jenkins, was a double Purple Heart veteran and a Marine, who passed away in 1995 just prior to celebrating the couple’s 65th wedding anniversary.
Jenkins said her mom has lived in Chester County all her life.
“She’s our mentor. She’s an example of faith even in hard times. She had a clear understanding of what was going on in the world,” Jenkins said.
“All she kept saying to us is: ‘You have to have faith. And you have to pray.’”
Jenkins noted, “She’s just a prayerful woman. She’s all-faith.”
Located two miles north of Longwood Gardens, Pocopson Home has no active cases of COVID-19, according to the facility’s website. Activities in small groups of 10 or less have resumed. Universal masking, hand hygiene and social distancing are mandatory to help maintain the health and safety residents and staff.
Pocopson Home cares for 275 residents.
Pocopson Township, and unincorporated village, was named for the stream that flows through the community. Pocopson is a Native American word derived from the Lenni-Lenape people. It means “roaring waters.”
A few towns away in downtown Kennett Square, the historic Friends Home, founded in 1898, currently allows senior citizen residents to meet with loved ones via porch or patio visits only.
“Since we did not have any COVID cases here at the Friends Home until July 17, we were allowing outside visitation with our residents on the porch or patio,” said Christine McDonald, executive director, on Thursday.
Loved ones must remain seven feet or away from residents while visiting with Friends Home residents outside.
The 122-year-old assisted living facility is home to 20 senior citizens at its nursing home, 37 seniors who are under personal care, and two individuals who live in independent apartments.
On July 17, Friends Home suspended all outside visitations until Aug. 13, McDonald said. If another COVID-19 case among residents or employees arises, then outdoor visitations will again suspend for another two weeks to ensure no more additional cases occur, she said.
“This policy will be in effect indefinitely,” McDonald added.
Starting on March 3, Friends Home implemented extensive procedures for cleaning. On March 10, all outside trips were canceled, all inside entertainment was postponed, and all visitations
were suspended on March 17.
Chester County Pocopson Home suspended in-person visitations on March 13, the same day President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to combat novel coronavirus stateside.
“The outpouring of support from the community has been wonderful,” said Pocopson Home Administrator Jackie McKenna in late July, as previously reported in the Daily Local News.
“This has been a very difficult time for residents and their family members,” she said.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as of Aug. 27, 5,157 seniors have died from COVID-19 related causes at assisted living facilities across the Commonwealth.
In Chester County, that equates to 286 deaths of all 355 reported fatalities.
For family members who finally reunited with their loved ones after, like Jenkins, more than 160 days a part, the experience was not only important, but precious.
“We were excited,” Jenkins said. “It was amazing.”