Ipads donated so loved ones can remain in contact with virus patients
A major loophole that saw COVID -19 patients at Windsor Regional Hospital with no means to communicate with loved ones due to isolation restrictions has been resolved thanks to the donation of 55 ipads from several local groups and organizations.
The ipads have already been distributed primarily to about 40 coronavirus patients located at the hospital’s St. Clair College location. Due to the emergency overflow setup at the college’s fieldhouse, patients had no access to technology to communicate with family or anything to watch and pass the time while under hospital care.
Some hospital patients locally unfortunately died with no communication with their loved ones during their final days due to no-visitor restrictions.
But that problem has been resolved thanks to Sterling Fuels, the Windsor Port Authority, Transition to Betterness under Barry and Stephanie Zekelman, with the purchase of ipads — plus MNSI Telecom which upgraded technology at the college free of charge in the area where the hospital beds are located so patients can receive online streaming services.
“We did some outreach to the hospital to see if maybe we could provide food (for front-line staff ), but they informed us there has been overwhelming community response for that,” said Steve Salmons, the port authority’s CEO. “What they told us was how patients remained isolated from the community.
“People are admitted and can’t bring communication devices. There was no ability for family or friends to help with personal support or communicate with patients. This was especially true at the St. Clair campus. You have elderly patients in the facility in complete isolation. These patients are anxious and human contact is critical. It’s not like a hospital room where you might have television.”
So the ipads were purchased from around town with the support of the groups involved at a cost of about $20,000 and donated to the hospital. Then MNSI stepped up with the help of the college to upgrade Wi-fi in the fieldhouse so it could handle streaming.
The remaining ipads have been distributed to patients at the hospital’s Met and Ouellette campus where they will remain in use in the future after the college’s overflow campus is closed down.
“This has really meant a great deal to our patients for a variety of reasons,” said Gisele Seguin, director of public affairs for the hospital. “It’s entertainment, it’s distraction, but most of all provides vital communications with their families, which is so important.
“We are so grateful to these community members for pulling this off in a timely manner and providing this service to our patients.”
Hospital staff are helping ailing or elderly patients use the ipads to communicate with their loved ones, Seguin said.
You have elderly patients in the facility in complete isolation. These patients are anxious and human contact is critical.