Willowood Care Center leans on creative programming during pandemic

BRUNSWICK — In what has been a stressful and challenging 12 months for staff at Willowood Care Center, the biggest test proved to be finding ways to keep residents happy and engaged while locked away from family and loved ones. Shutting down nursing homes to protect vulnerable Ohioans was one of Gov. Mike DeWine's first acts nearly a year ago to help stop the spread of the coronavirus in Ohio. It put nursing home employees on both the defense, fighting to keep the highly contagious virus out of the facilities' wings, and the offense while attacking isolation and depression among residents forced to see their families through windows from a distance. Willowood staff members like Gail Foreman, life enrichment coordinator, and Kyle Hinkle, dietary manager, found ways to both follow COVID-19 safety protocols and give residents fresh and creative activities and meal choices to lift their spirits. "We've all pulled together and it's been a great team effort," Foreman said. "We had to manage how to get stuff to the residents when they were on the COVID unit, figured out how to work with the nurses and the aids and we all pulled together. We specifically gave things to each resident that we know they like so they were engaged and enjoying their day." While the center's COVID unit was very active despite not seeing a new COVID-19 case in several weeks, Willowood has been one of the hardest-hit facilities in Medina County with 97 residents and 91 employees testing positive during the pandemic. Barb Bandagski, director of marketing and admissions, said it functioned as a second nursing home, specific for residents with COVID-19. Bandagski said she was blown away by the readiness and willingness of staff members, even those who had not had COVID-19, to volunteer to work on the unit. During that time when the spread of COVID-19 was worst throughout the facility was also when Foreman helped develop activities such as car parades, window visits with families and dogs and Santa Claus, and a separate "COVID Santa Claus visit" to only the COVID-19 unit. Staff also have taken the opportunity to teach residents how to use iPads to text, call and FaceTime loved ones and play games during their free time. "It was wonderful," Foreman said of the car parades and seeing their hard work pay off. "It's heartwarming." Bandagski said the events "remind us why we're doing what we're doing." On the culinary side, Hinkle said he has made a point to talk with residents to get their input on what types of food they would most like to see along with menu changes every three months. "I talk to them about their likes and dislikes and some things they would like to see," Hinkle said. Over the last four-plus weeks, Bandagski said the center has been free of COVID-19, and more than 80 percent of the residents and numerous staff members are inoculated. This has helped Foreman, Hinkle and others plan activities that are closer to normal than residents have had in a year. One of the main ways is utilizing common areas for dining and other events. "We do both lunch and dinner in the common area for them to, obviously, sit down and eat and dine with each other," Hinkle said. "We just try to make sure residents do enjoy their time while they're in the dining room and getting what they want and what their nutritional needs are as well." Similarly, Foreman has taken that opportunity to have activities like bingo and celebrations for events like Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl. "They are loving it," Foreman said. "They needed to see their friends and they're just happier because of it." Bandagski said these types of gatherings, even socially distanced and with fewer than 10 people, has been immeasurably beneficial for the residents. "Even if it's just one at a table, but there's eight people in the room, that has already helped the morale of the residents," Bandagski said. "They can't openly go throughout the entire building at this point, but we have sections to our building. They can come out and see each other wearing masks and following protocols." Bandagski, Hinkle and Foreman each agreed that while this past year posed challenges unlike any other, they can carry over thoughts and lessons from the pandemic to their future care. "If we can get through the bad times," Hinkle said, "we can get through the good times." Contact reporter Jack Kopanski at (330) 721-4063 or jkopanski@medina-gazette.com.