“The staff here recognized very quickly how seriously they need to take this pandemic,” he says. “They have moved very quickly and have been very open with day-to-day communication about what’s been going on.”
It’s this connection between the residents and staff that has made a big difference in the community’s ability to cope over the last year.
“We have a great relationship with the staff. Quite frankly, this network of communication (among the staff and hall chair-people) is what gave us the jump on the virus,” explains Ted.
The hall chairs are residents in the community who are responsible for passing along important information to other residents on their halls and ensuring that residents’ questions are addressed. “The hall chairs are kind of the mamas or papas of the halls,” Ted adds, with a chuckle.
While most group and in-person activities have been put on hold and meals continue to be delivered to residents in their homes, Ted has been pleasantly surprised at how well most residents have adapted to using new technology and following protocols for keeping each other safe.
“We have an in-house channel on television as well as CareMerge on our computers and the library is getting plenty of use. Really the most difficult situation is being separated from family,” says Ted, referring to restrictions on visitors in place at Friends Homes. During warmer weather, outdoor visits were arranged by staff, allowing residents to see and share time with family at a safe distance.
“But we recognize that… it’s a situation of being our brother’s keeper. We realize that each one of us has a responsibility to protect ourselves from the virus, so we don’t pass it along to each other,” he explains.
Ted moved to Friends Homes West four years ago with his wife, Ruth, who passed away a couple of years later. He is one of many members of Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro that have chosen Friends Homes West over the years, which for Ted added to Friends Homes’ sense of closeness and community.