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Wednesday, January 12, 2022. Almost two years after the start of the pandemic, Helga Ewers-Rolfs has to eat alone again.
Three omicron cases are in the St. Johannis-St.
Nikolai appeared.
The dining room is closed, her place is deserted.
Helga Ewers-Rolfs, resident:
“Breakfast, lunch and dinner are in the room.
This is what makes the day so long.
So you don't look forward to anything to eat anymore.«
It's been three days since two employees and one resident tested positive.
Whether it's singing, bingo or city-country-river - nothing is happening this week.
Tim Schoon, Facility Manager St. Johannis-St. Nikolai:
»It was simply a question of time at Omikron before the facility would achieve this here.
The cases are increasing in Hamburg.
So far we've been, I'll say it, clean.
And now it's gotten us too.«
Now it's time to test.
All residents, three times within a week.
If there were no new positive case, the home would have tested itself.
There should be gymnastics here now.
Helga Ewers-Rolfs, resident:
»I think it's very important to move your ankles as well.
You don't normally do that either.
The muscles get stiff very quickly.«
All residents are tested regularly.
Almost all have long since been boosted.
Helga Ewers-Rolfs, resident:
"And that's why I don't think we're endangered as we are here, also as we do gymnastics here, we ten people."
The 93-year-old also doesn't think it's right that the house hairdresser isn't coming now.
Getting your hair done is an important anchor for many.
Helga Ewers-Rolfs, resident:
»I'm going.
Every week.
i miss them
The hair thing is very difficult.
With the hair dryer up here.”
Tim Schoon has been running the Diakonie nursing home since 2019. He has been dealing with the pandemic almost all of the time.
Tim Schoon, Facility Manager:
»There is simply no speech, no suggestion.
There's also the movement from the room to the dining room, it just doesn't happen.
And we know exercise is incredibly important.
Especially in the elderly.
And if that doesn't happen, that's not enough.«
The days for the residents are now particularly long.
Visits are only possible to a limited extent.
Employee at reception:
»It's Mrs. Hölscher's birthday on Wednesday.
The two of them would like to come in."
Tim Schoon:
»We have to limit this to one unit of time.
That only one hour remains.
But then they can definitely come.
You can also tell them that over the phone.
Normally we would provide them with coffee and cake.
But that's not possible now.«
Tim Schoon, Facility Manager:
“It's all about registration and testing and circumstance.
And that's actually not the way a retirement home is supposed to work.
A retirement home is simply nice for older residents because they can interact there with their peers, but also with their relatives, who can come in here openly and freely.«
Felicitas Noeske was asked not to visit her mother, who was suffering from dementia, every day.
Felicitas Noeske, relatives:
"Look at Mama, here.
But then you sat down on chocolate.
Dagmar Noeske, resident:
"That's chocolate."
Felicitas Noeske, relatives:
»So the forgetfulness is there, the type of communication is becoming more and more limited.
And the event, I think that certainly plays a big role for my mother, because she always took part in something like that.
Concert, church service, reading groups or discussion groups.
Gymnastics.
My mother goes along with everything else.«
Dagmar Noeske:
"Tropical fruit?"
Felicitas Noeske:
»That's mango.
Write Mango!«
Dagmar Noeske:
"Language in the 'www'?"
Felicitas Noeske:
»Ah, you can't know that either.
HTML.
Write a T.”
Felicitas Noeske:
»On the one hand, I think it's good.
It's reassuring to know you're being looked after.
Then again, Mother's days are numbered."
Everyone is now waiting spellbound for the result of the three test series.
Nurse conducting rapid tests:
"Open your mouth then!"
Resident:
"Did you find any more positives today?"
Nurse: "Not yet. I've only just started. There's nothing downstairs and I don't know upstairs."
Resident: "But I'm negative now?"
Nurse: "I have to look."
Tim Schoon, Facility Manager:
“I hope and expect that we will only have negative results from the residents: Today, Friday and Monday.
Because we closed the dining room early, because we all wear FFP2 masks, because the employees who tested positive left the facility immediately, and because we act quickly.
That's why I'm confident.«
Was that enough to stop the omicron eruption in this home?
Since this Monday it has been clear: It wasn't enough.
Everything stays closed.
Tim Schoon, Facility Manager:
“Now we have a new positive case in the residents.
In my opinion, or what you hear from the media, Omicron is much more contagious.
And that's the experience we've had.
That was probably also this route of infection.
Actually a safe way.
They probably got infected outside, where one would say that's actually safe.
It's not.
We just look from week to week.
There is no other way."
Helga Ewers-Rolfs, resident:
»One more week!
It's dead quiet here in the house.
We then call each other, but are actually desperate that we can't see each other.
This time is absolutely depressing.«
48 out of 150 nursing homes in Hamburg are currently affected by corona cases.
Home manager Tim Schoon hopes that the current wave will fall as quickly as it is currently rising.
And that he doesn't have to close everything again next fall.