When you walk through our doors you will not see the smiling faces that once greeted you or the sound of walkers in the hall. You will hear an eerie silence. However, as our residents are cozy in their apartments, and restricted from gatherings, things are starting to feel a little easier as each day goes by. One way St. Andrew’s is accomplishing this is keeping our brains and body fit.
Routine is vital to our residents.
One tiny twist in the wrong direction can offset their whole day. By keeping meal times at regular times, medication pass, and waking up residents at requested times helps reduce the risk of boredom and depression in our residents. Thus sticking to the same routine has given the residence a sense of normalcy.
Keeping our residents mobile during this time is crucial as well.
Being inactive has a toll on your body and can restrict flexibility and movement. One way we have implemented mobility at St. Andrew’s is in-home exercise routines to keep them active and healthy. Each resident is given a sheet that has several different movements that could be done safely in a chair. These sheets are changed out regular to incorporate new exercises.
Getting fresh air and Vitamin D is also important to our residents.
Being isolated and cooped up for long periods of time can cause anxiety and depression. During this time several ventures have been created to get the residents outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Such as an Easter Hunt where they were given a piece of paper to find all things Easter items hidden outside. A Safari Hunt that will take place later next week. They will search for different Safari Animals that you would find in Africa around the outside of the building. In addition to the outdoor adventures, we recommend to the residents to go for a walks around the building while staying six feet apart. Spending time in nature will help boost our resident’s mental and physical heath and give them sense of balance in their life.
Staying close with family and friends is extremely important to our residents.
Not seeing someone for long periods of times and can cause severe depression and sense of loss. During this time we strongly urge our residents to use the phone or use video chat to talk to their family and friends. To help encourage the residents we have a sanitary phone station for those who do not have access to a phone or need help calling. Staying in touch with family and friends helps ease the residents and make them feel connected and content.
As governor Inslee extends our stay-at-home and things seem a little off-kilter, we have made an environment feel less like isolation and more like a home. By continuing to incorporate these practices we hope to make our residents continue to stay happy and healthy and keep their brains and bodies fit.