Turning fifty shades of grey at Jaffa

SUZANNE BELLING

The only other time I have been in lockdown and had to obey rules was when I was a teenager in boarding school. But the consequences of trying to beat the rules relating to the prevention of COVID-19 are infinitely more serious than staying up for a midnight feast.

Yes, we sit on the patio and chairs are demarcated to permit the prescribed spacing between people. To a casual observer it appears as if we are having some R&R. But there is too much rest and not that much relaxation, as nerves are beginning to wear thin.

Jaffa is in lockdown. It was in this situation for the residents’ safety well before President Cyril Ramaphosa implemented stage 5. People over the age of 60 are more at risk, therefore Mark Isaacs, the director of Jaffa, introduced many precautions in good time. The stage 4 changes have barely been noticed.

In our seventh week of lockdown, I’m growing accustomed to the daily routine with mainly meals, tea, and more tea. But at least we are treated to home-made biscuits or cakes.

We now anticipate a good few weeks – or even months – until the all-clear is given.

Social distancing is observed continuously. In the dining room, which has been extended to include a major part of the spacious lounge, only two people are permitted to sit at a table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is no longer a buffet table; no board games or card games are permitted as these can transmit the virus if handled by infected people; the conference room which was crowded for regular movies and music has been cut down to accommodate only 15 people at a socially spaced distance; no outside volunteers or lecturers can enter the home; and residents who are specialists in their fields divide their presentations into two sessions. The same applies to films.

Exercise is held in the garden with chairs widely-spaced, and the same applies to the patio and lapa. The library and in-house shop only allow one resident or patron at a time. The popular twice-weekly Bingo session has come to an end, as have walks to the beautiful bird sanctuary and park across the road from Jaffa.

Shopping is done by designated staff members, wearing gloves, masks, and transparent visors. Orders are brought in and sprayed with disinfectant. Of course, I received the wrong hair colour, and we are witnessing 50 shades of grey without weekly visits from the hairdresser as Jaffa has its own salon now manned by the residents and occupational therapy staff. There are do-it-yourself jobs. I even cut my own fringe.

Jaffa residents may not take out their cars, and most of us have disconnected our batteries. We are driven to essential doctors’ appointments by a geared-up designated driver. She used to take people on leisurely shopping trips, to the gym, even to buy clothes.

No more. It’s my grandson’s birthday this week, and I have to buy a present by proxy. Of course, it goes without saying that I can’t even see my children and grandchildren, except on video phone. Mother’s Day was a non-event.

But we can’t complain. We are cared for, and Jaffa is caring. Isaacs watches over us like a concerned parent, even though he is many years our junior.

Nursing staff, carers, waitresses, office, and housekeeping staff wear visors, masks, and gloves at all times. There are no more buffet tables to help oneself to the delicious array of salads – everyone has to be served by an appropriately clad server.

In this apparel, in the dining-room where the waitresses line up, they resemble characters out of Star Wars instead of the staff of an aged home!

Nearly every week there is a socially spaced house meeting in which residents are apprised of the situation regarding the Jewish community and Jewish aged homes in the major centres.

Residents who left the home to visit family before the lockdown aren’t allowed back in until it’s lifted. “I couldn’t even come back to fetch my winter clothes when it got cold,” said a friend who is staying with her daughter in Johannesburg, and can’t leave.

Seniors who are in good health aren’t permitted to enter the frail-care section where we used to visit to cheer up patients.

Jaffa previously resembled a luxury hotel, but everything has changed. Now, notices are on every board and door, and red strips demarcate sitting places.

Recreationally, Jaffa folk miss cards and tile rummy the most.

They applaud Isaacs for going the extra mile in taking precautions. He even performs errands himself, like taking cell phones in for repair and other favours for residents who can’t venture outside. He also makes himself available 24/7, like when the lifts are out of order. Even then, the number of people in the lifts is limited, which means climbing the stairs, although this is well-nigh impossible for those with walking aids.

If family members want to bring something for their parents, they have to drop it outside with security guards – all this while moms and dads have brief conversations from behind locked gates. One daughter even brought a deck chair for her mother to sit on while these “prison-like” visits transpired.

Baruch Hashem, there have been no COVID-19 cases within the Jaffa precincts. But everyone is taking strain. But at least we aren’t alone, and there is always someone available for a chat. We are like family, but, at the end of the day, we miss our families.

• Suzanne Belling was a journalist and the editor of Jewish newspapers for decades. She is also an accomplished author, having written a number of biographies. She now resides with her husband, Michael, in Jaffa in Pretoria.