Hug curtain lets families be closer to Brandon nursing home residents
BRANDON, Fla - It’s not the best hug – but at a nursing home in Brandon says it’s the next best thing.
You can probably imagine the frustration of families not being able to hug their loved ones who are in a nursing home right now.
The Savanah Court of Brandon assisted living facility is overcoming that obstacle.
They’ve made a barrier out of shower curtains so families can have a way to feel their loved ones.
Executive director Chyna Huff says she saw the idea online.
"I said, 'Why can’t we do that here?'" Huff told FOX 13.
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A state task force is trying to find ways to safely allow loved ones and visitors back inside long-term care facilities and nursing homes. However, some family members aren’t willing to keep waiting to get inside, so they're getting jobs there instead.
The elderly population is the most vulnerable in this pandemic and to prevent COVID-19 from getting into a nursing home – families have gone without touching their loved ones for too long.
Luann Leahy hasn’t been able to hold her mother’s hand in six months. She says skin-to-skin contact is better, but skin to plastic is better than nothing.
“My mom responded to me more than she has in five months,” Leahy said. “It’s incredible for them to let us experience this.”
That is why the staff and families at Savanah Court hope other nursing homes take note.
“That’s what I got into the business for,” Huff said. “To connect families.”