In our three communities, we create connections and opportunities for those connections for our patients – especially our long-term and senior residents.
With our campus visitation previously temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 and now still limited by state and local guidance, our teams are working hard to fulfill the true need our patients have for interaction with their families and loved ones.
We’ve always helped our patients connect through “technology visits” by assisting them with their mobile device or one of ours to facilitate video chats and calls with loved ones. When the pandemic closed our doors to almost all outside visitors, we ramped up staffing to manage the increased workload, including staff members to handle our increased technology visits.
Tennessee has a Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) Reinvestment program that offers grants to “improve the quality of life and quality of care of nursing home residents in certified nursing home facilities.” Hillcrest Healthcare was honored to receive a Communicative Technology grant through the CMP program.
The $8,370 awarded through the grant allowed us to purchase 21 iPads that are now used in our three communities to connect our patients to their family and loved ones.
Lifesaving connections
According to the CDC, loneliness and social isolation can impact up to one-third of the senior population and can lead to major health risks, including depression and dementia.
If you have older family members, try to connect with them through phone calls, video chats, letters or cards if you can’t visit them in person. It lets them know that you care and gives you the chance to check on their health and well-being.
The connection you make could help prolong and enrich their life.