Bringing joy to The Village of St. Edward amidst Covid-19
By Patricia Nugent
The residents at The Village of St. Edward in Wadsworth don’t quite know what they’ll find when they open their doors on any given Friday…a fearsome dinosaur, a clown doing handstands, maybe even a growling gorilla or giant popcorn box.
“We have creative people on our team and our residents are getting a kick out of the costumes and themed carts we’ve put together to go room to room,” says Carol Briseno, Director of Resident Life at the faith-based, not-for-profit facility offering independent living, assisted living and memory care. For Mother’s Day they made “Mom-osas” and threw a hot dog party for Father’s Day.
Bringing Joy
“In addition to facilitating virtual visits with families through Skype and FaceTime, we’re doing everything we can to bring joy to our residents’ lives,” Carol says. “If there’s a silver lining to all the Covid restrictions, it’s that we’ve gotten to know our residents much better. As caretakers, the experience has been heartfelt.”
She says keeping people’s spirits up is a daily endeavor. For instance, they came up with a Hallway of Hugs, where people can decorate signs that are shaped like a person giving a hug.
Keeping the faith is always a mission here. Spiritual Care Coordinator Sr. Marilyn Ambrosik has been leading virtual prayers for residents and the community, asking for grace and peace during the crisis. She spends time with residents during personal visits as well.
Carol reports they’ve just started doing outdoor in-person visits between residents and their families in a big tent by their pond. Tables are spaced six feet apart. Though there’s no hugging or physical contact allowed, Carol said it’s been wonderful for them to see and be seen by their families.
Families call ahead to reserve their visits. They follow all the protocols—screening for temperatures, asking symptom-related questions, and handing out an informational sheet—at each visit.
Staying Physically Active
The Village of St. Edward sits on a beautiful and restful green space surrounded by woods and a pond. Carol says residents have enjoyed lots of outdoor walks on their pathways, especially watching a mama duck and her ducklings, giving them the names of the Brady Bunch kids, and seeing them grow.
“We also have modified what were formerly group activities, such as hallway exercise and hallway bingo, where residents remain in their doorway, but still feel like they are part of the action,” says Carol. “Another activity they love is the weekly poker run. Each day we give each resident a card. Whoever has a winning hand by the end of the week wins a prize. We held a pet parade that people loved, too.”
Reawakening from Restrictions
The dining room, with its gourmet restaurant-style dining, has recently reopened for residents to once again enjoy meals together in a socially distanced capacity, with tables spaced six feet apart.
In addition to the dining, other amenities at The Village of St. Edward include a salon, fitness center, four charming courtyards, a 24-hour personal emergency pendant system and nurse on duty, weekly housekeeping, weekly laundry of linens, room service if needed and chauffeured transportation to doctor appointments and shopping.
The Village of St. Edward has three locations. In Wadsworth, the address is 880 Main Street, and phone number is 234-217-8735. It includes 50 one- and two-bedroom suites in independent living, 29 one-bedroom and studio units in assisted living and 28 memory care studios. In Fairlawn, the address is 3125 Smith Road, and phone number is 330-668-2828. In Green, the address is 3813 Fortuna Drive, and phone number is 234-294-0010. There are no long-term contracts. Pets under 20 pounds are allowed. For more information or to schedule a virtual visit, go to VSECommunities.org.