How do we care for our old and vulnerable?

OWN CORRESPONDENT

If you have an elderly parent or parents living with you, what are the obvious steps you should take to safeguard them?

The government of the United Kingdom has put all people over the age of 70 in quarantine for four months, and the Israeli health minister has banned people from visiting aged facilities. Clearly, the elderly, frail, and immunocompromised are at most risk. We need to suspend individual niceties to look after broader communal necessities. Elderly parents should be encouraged to stay home. Many shuls internationally have suspended their services. This virus spreads, as everyone knows, by inadequate hand hygiene and mucous droplets on hands and surfaces. The closer we are to people, the more risk we have of infecting them. So be careful not to touch, kiss, or hug your elderly parents. Grandchildren can draw pictures and send messages. In this wonderful age of technology, there are a number of safe options. In some cases, very vulnerable people have gone into total isolation to avoid contact with people, even family.

Closing establishments for the elderly and vulnerable in the community (from visitors) seems a drastic measure. Why did the chev do this?

The chev has adopted the mantra of “speed over perfection”, and we are attempting to be ahead of the curve. We have dedicated researchers who constantly monitor international trends and best practice in nursing and aged homes around the world. What became clear is that we needed to take quick, strong, and decisive action to protect our residents. We weren’t looking to do what was popular, rather what was right.

While it may seem a drastic measure, these are the most vulnerable and as such, need to be the most protected. We would have loved to have waited until after the weekend when we could have planned it better. However, the data clearly showed us that every day matters when it comes to a virus that spreads so quickly. Our residents and community have responded well.

How do we protect our elderly and vulnerable at institutions that haven’t done this?

The chev has been asked to take on a national role of co-ordinating Jewish facilities. We have set up a communication group, and are sharing all our documents, research, and protocols – anything we feel will be of value to them. And we are strongly encouraging other aged facilities to follow suit and restrict access.

Aren’t the precautions the government and medical fraternity outlined for everyone enough when dealing with the elderly and vulnerable?

The chev has instituted a policy of “shielding”, which is different to social distancing. It’s about protecting the most vulnerable. In implementing this, we have created three bubbles around our people. Bubble #1 is our outer perimeter, which doesn’t allow anyone aside from staff and contractors to enter the facilities. Bubble #2 is at our receptions at the various facilities, which ensure that people on the inside of bubble #1 who have no reason to be there, can go no further. And bubble #3 sits outside every frail-care unit and is manned by a qualified nurse blocking access until staff are screened (for a second time) to ensure no one who shouldn’t have access can go inside.

How do we know that the people working with the elderly and vulnerable aren’t going to spread the virus?

Everyone has to be cautious. We have instituted a rigorous policy of staff screening at our first bubble. This protocol has been developed in association with the private sector to ensure that no one who is potentially a risk will have access. Non-medical or care staff who have no reason to be inside our aged and frail facilities won’t be permitted access.

About 400 of our residents are extremely vulnerable and frail. As such, they require intense nursing and assistance with the activities of daily living such as being changed, bathed, turned, and fed. We can’t manage without staff. We have also doubled down on our cleaning rituals to meet the highest levels of infection-control. Given the size of our facilities, cleaning all handrails, surfaces, food trolleys, lift buttons, and door handles multiple times through the day requires that we hire many additional cleaning staff members.

What’s being done in these institutions closed to the outside world to ensure that the residents aren’t lonely and bored?

Baruch Hashem (praise G-d) we have the most wonderful activities in our facilities. One just needs to walk around our various campuses to see that there is a thriving programme. We have movies, exercise classes, shiurim, entertainment, and more. Life continues normally for those onsite, and we are doing everything we can to maintain Shabbat services and programmes without our visitors. The gardens are beautiful, and the Nosh Café and Tea Garden are busy, social, and active. Residents sit outside enjoying the sun and feeling safe and protected.

Is there anything else we need to know in this regard?

Because family and friends are barred from visiting our residents and we understand how difficult this can be for everyone, we are setting up an e-visiting system via Skype and WhatsApp which can be arranged through 063 212 4193. We are also offering free flu vaccinations to all residents, staff, and chev community welfare beneficiaries. Although this isn’t a corona vaccine, a generally healthier community is needed at this time.

People are encouraged to show love to the elderly. Send drawings, drop off care packages with loving notes that we can distribute to them, be creative, make videos with performances and messages from your family to ours, and we will play them. Drop off magazines, crossword puzzles, and books. Bake cakes for our security guards, they have a tough job at the moment.

I have received many calls offering assistance financially at this extraordinary time – it’s just a sign of how giving this community is. At some point, we may call upon the community to volunteer and assist us. If we do, I have no doubt knowing this remarkable community that we will get a positive response.