After being closed for about 17 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Caring Place of Hot Springs reopened to attendees last Monday with a new modernized facility.
The Caring Place, a ministry of the First United Methodist Church and an intercontinental volunteer organization located at 101 Quapaw Ave. , provides care and activities to people suffering from another dementia bureaucracy. suffers from the disease.
The caregivers of board member Ann Carrithers are excited to be reunited with their loved ones for Monday’s welcome day.
“Well, actually, it went pretty well,” he says. I think we had six participants on the first day and nine on the spot and each and every day, you know, more come back. We have, of course, demanded that they get vaccinated and we have lost many of our participants in these 16 months, and now we seek to spread the word so that those who had not participated before know that our branch is available. “
Joyce Whitfield, chair of the board of directors, noted that participants are vulnerable to the virus and that in addition to cleaning, repainting and thoroughly redecoration of the facility, the nonprofit recently won a bipolar needle ionization formula that was installed on the five HVAC equipment to purify the air.
“Clean up all kinds of germs like COVID, staphylococci, allergens,” he said. “I mean, clean our air, you know, all day, each and every one 24 hours a day. It removes the smells and, me. ” that is, the air is so new here that it’s amazing compared to what it was before. So they gave it to us through a donor and it’s a fabulous addition for safety. “
Whitfield said they also adapted THE LED to save money on energy.
“And we took a step forward in the dining room, the dining room, in an old-fashioned theme of the ’50s,” he said. “We repainted the building. COVID, you know, has been a boon in some tactics that we’ve had time to repaint the whole building. It hadn’t been painted in 20 years, so we repainted it. . . . Because the total reopening was totally motivated by, you know, when we can safely reopen and bring our attendees here. »
Although the facility is open and accepts new participants, due to the recent increase in COVID-19 instances and delta variants, lately only participants and staff are allowed in. , as they obtained much-needed relief through 24-hour care.
“We’ve reduced staff right now just because it’s our first week of opening,” he said. “Normally, we would have volunteers and artists here with the attendees, with the staff, but due to the buildup of COVID instances, our board took the resolution last week to restrict the exhibit to everyone, so we only allowed our staff, essential staff members who are trained, and attendees to enter the building. pass that way, but it can last up to 8 weeks depending on how this increase in cases and numbers come and go. “
With a lower number of participants than the previous average of 25 to 27 before the shutdown, Whitfield said the ratio of participants to staff complies with state regulations they monitor to a large extent. He said the group’s biggest fear right now is keeping everyone healthy. and safe.
“Because we are licensed across the state of Arkansas and we have rules about how many other people we have here compared to the number of participants,” he said.
“You know, we appreciate our volunteers and artists who will sign up for us, but for now, we just have to take each and every precaution to protect each and every one. It’s not just about protecting our staff and our participants, but those volunteers are too and the artists of, you know, each and every one has a limit to what they’re exposed to right now. And most importantly, we need to be able to stay open and if we have a breakthrough, then we need to get back to where we were. “
In addition to ready snacks and lunch through the group’s full-time cook on-site, participants can enjoy being with friends and participating in activities such as art, music, dancing, exercise and lawn therapy. new outdoor facility for assignments this fall.
“We are organized, first of all, to relieve caregivers, because they have a massive duty 24/7 and want a day to take care of themselves,” he said. “And it’s a way for them to bring their enjoyment of one and their activities are planned, you know, to keep them busy. They’re not sitting in front of a TV, we have activities that are suitable for everyone present. “
The Caring Place is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a. m. at 3 p. m. y new vacancies are now available. For more information, visit their Facebook page or online page at http://www. thecaringplacehotsprings. com, or call 501-623-2881.