The new normal at SouthWest Commons is anything but boring, and here’s how residents are living and loving life
By Mary Malik
How do nightly ice cream treats and door to door bar carts sound? These are just a couple examples of the new normal at SouthWest Commons Assisted Living in Strongsville, and the residents are all in.
These past several months have been difficult for the staff and residents at Southwest Commons, but they have met the challenges together and made changes to stay connected, engaged and safe.
“When Covid-19 restrictions were announced, our first concern was keeping everyone healthy, but also keeping our residents connected with their families and with each other,” says Cheryl McCallum, senior living counselor. “We’ve been forced to rethink how we’ve always done certain things around here and get creative. And, to be honest, some things have actually gotten better.”
The staff at SouthWest Commons has come up with tons of different and creative activities, all while social distancing, where residents can get some exercise, be entertained and spend time together.
“Smaller group activities following the Covid-19 protocols have allowed more intimate connections and actually enabled our staff to get to know the residents even better,” says Cheryl. “Regular communication with families has also strengthened bonds between our staff and all of our families. This intense focus on communication has been a positive result of our new protocols.”
That communication with families started out as phone calls and FaceTime meetings, moved to window visits with family and now has progressed to porch visits which are welcomed by all.
“There’s nothing like face-to-face visits,” says Cheryl. “It’s so important for families to actually see their loved ones. It calms fears and uncertainties.”
Another thing that SouthWest Commons’ staff has been utilizing for communication are more regular Facebook posts featuring residents engaging in all kinds of different activities. Resident Agnes M. is an internet star all because of her Facebook reading of the children’s book, “A Color of His Own.”
“Agnes went viral,” says Cheryl. “The post of the reading garnered over 1,000 views in less than 24 hours. Her great-grandson, Michael, commented on the post saying, ‘Hi great-grandma. It’s so good to see you again even though it has to be on here. I hope to see you in person again soon. Love you always.’ The staff then printed out all of Agnes’ 39 comments on the post and displayed them on her refrigerator so she can read and enjoy them.”
Along with learning about the power of social media as a way to connect with family and friends, residents are also taking advantage of the warm weather by spending more time outdoors. More space for social distancing allows residents to safely spend time together, which boosts everyone’s spirits. The staff has planned outdoor grilling and various cooking demonstrations to give residents that familiar feeling of home.
“Enjoying the sunshine and fresh air is good for everyone,” says Cheryl. “Coming up, summer events include the East Coast Custard truck, carnival-themed games and we can still have our annual outdoor campfire featuring live music and s’mores.”
And you can keep up with all the activities at SouthWest Commons on their Facebook page. Things may look a little different for now, but you’ll see the staff is getting creative and residents are responding, learning new things and thriving.
SouthWest Commons is located at 18090 Pearl Road in Strongsville. For more information or to schedule a virtual tour, call 440-238-3777, check the website, LifeServicesAssistedLiving.com or find them on Facebook.