After almost two months, the residents of retirement homes were allowed to visit again for the first time at the weekend. Those in need of care and their relatives saw each other again under strict hygiene and safety measures.
Oberschweinbach – The main entrance is cordoned off. Red arrows show visitors the way around the building towards the garden. In a garage converted into a reception area, they have to fill out a questionnaire, sign a sheet with safety instructions and disinfect their hands. Mouth-nose protection is mandatory, souvenirs are rubbed off with surface disinfectant. Only then does it go through a patio door into the visiting room. "Nobody has to walk through the house like this," says Daniela Viertel.
The facility manager and her team are happy that the home is corona-free. It should stay that way - that's why a visit concept was developed that should rule out any risk of infection. Two rooms with separate entrances are available for the reunion of the relatives with the residents. Appointments must be made in advance by phone. Four visitors can be in the house at the same time and stay for a maximum of half an hour.
Mother's Day is reserved for women
Visits are reserved for female residents on Mother's Day, including Käthe Lihl. Separated by two tables, which ensure the minimum distance of two meters, the 94-year-old and her daughter Edeltraud Kalb sit opposite each other. For weeks, the 71-year-old could only wave to her mother from the street. "We are lucky that her room faces the front." Now the Estonian is happy to see the elderly woman in good shape in front of her - even if a hug is impossible and a conversation is difficult.
Because the 94-year-old has difficulty hearing, she reads a lot from her lips. Edeltraud Kalb does not know that in this case she should take off her face mask. An employee helps with the communication. "My mother was very upset," reports the 71-year-old afterwards. She literally felt how everything was shaking in the elderly.
Residents don't understand restrictions
"Our residents didn't understand the restrictions at all," says Daniela Viertel. In addition to the visits, all voluntary offers, all services from outside and all services were canceled. There was a minimum distance for meals, particularly vulnerable residents had to eat in their rooms. Those who came from the hospital were accommodated in a quarantine room for two weeks. “People were completely isolated from one day to the next.” The employees should have had to work a lot.
The new visiting rules also involve a lot of personal effort, because it is the nursing staff who ensure that all the rules are observed. They are there for every visit, provide assistance, interpret for the hearing impaired and then have to disinfect the room. Quarter is annoyed that the homes are not funded by the state with additional staff. Overtime is piling up.
However, many nurses volunteered for work on the first weekend of the visit. "I am always proud of my employees," said Viertel. "And a lot more these days."
More news from the district can be found here.
