Items

• 2020-04-02

  Play School COVID-19 Special

  HUM402 Play School has been the leading early childhood education television program for over 50 years in Australia. This special episode, available via Facebook, communicates the changes happening due to COVID-19. It empathises with the children about not being able to see friends, but gives them ways to help stop the virus like washing their hands.
• 
  2020-04-27

  What about Mom?

  By mid march, our mom was confined to her room. She, and all the residents of Mountainview Residence in Georgetown, had not been allowed visitors from the outside for 2 weeks. They still were enjoying their dinners in the dining room, and the interaction with other residents. But a report came back from the hospital from a resident who had fallen and been admitted. That person tested positive for Covid 19. Suddenly, it was prudent to isolate residents to their rooms. My brother and I asked - "what do we do about mom?" We wondered if we should be taking her out of there? Who would take her? Who could isolate in their home with her? But what if she is already positive? We decided neither of us could do it. So a schedule of phone calls was decided upon, and daily visits to her ground floor window would have to suffice. That first week showed much lethargy and weakness. Was she depressed? Was she missing the social interaction already? Our mom was very very tired, and had a little head cold, but she assured us she was fine. The regional health department was in close contact to the administrator, and monitoring every resident, dictating who to swab for tests. My mom was never selected, as she never presented with a temperature. By Easter weekend - April 10, 11 and 12th, the health department finally came to test every resident and every staff member. Results showed 63 positive cases among the residents, and several more for staff members. And yes - our mom was one of the positives, but apparently asymptomatic. In hindsight, she DID have symptoms, just not the ones they were looking for. After that first week of extreme tiredness, she seemed to perk up and be just as happy and strong as before being isolated. Although Mountainview Residence made the news with 63 positive cases, and 8 deaths at the time of airing (9 now to date) - that leaves 55 seniors with strong consitutions who recovered from whatever symptoms they had presented. I think that's amazing. As of today, 27 April, it has been 2 weeks since any new cases have appeared. Healthy residents are now able to come outside for distanced walks with workers or family members. After 4 weeks being isolated in their rooms, these seniors are proving to be resilient and able to persevere. We grieve with those families who have lost a parent in these last 5 weeks, but celebrate with those who are seeing their parent recovering.