COVID-19 robs seniors of human touch
John Donati in his room at Southminster Place in Washington
John Donati served in the Air Force during World War II.
Faith, hope and love sustained John Donati through the depression, World War II and the polio epidemic. Today, those virtues are pulling him through the coronavirus pandemic.
Donati, who turns 96 on March 31, was born and raised on a dairy farm in Langeloth. He graduated from Burgettstown High School.
Currently, he is a resident of Southminster Place, which is one of three long-term care communities in Washington and part of the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network.
“My belief in God has kept me strong,” said Donati, a member of the Central Assembly of God congregation in nearby Houston, before the pandemic hit. “Whatever happens, He will get us through. So I tell people to have hope and to love one another. Be good to each other.”
Life has always been good to Donati.
At 17, he enlisted in the Air Force and served in France during World War II. When he returned stateside, he and friend went on a trip to Chicago. “Just for fun” said Donati. There he met his wife, Billie. The couple was married for 60 years until she passed in 2010.
Donati has three children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, one of whom he has yet to hold because of visitation restrictions.
Now that he and many of the residents in the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network have been vaccinated, Donati is hopeful 2021 will be better than 2020.
“I was waiting for that,” Donati said of the vaccine. “Hugs,” he added. “Now I can look forward to that.”
Those may come soon, as pre-scheduled indoor visitations became available March 8 because of the decreased positivity rate in Washington County, and because Southminster Place has not experienced any positive COVID cases in the past 14 days. However, protocols such as wearing a mask, social distancing and hand hygiene are still being enforced.
“This pandemic has hit many people in many different ways,” said Kaitlyn Melnyk, a recreational therapist at Southminster since graduating from Slippery Rock University in August 2020. “The residents here really just want to be with their families, but they appreciate how we are connecting them in new and different ways.”
Through virtual visits and an outdoor visitation station, residents have been able to see their families.
“Our team had to be creative on finding adaptive ways to meet the needs of our residents,” Melnyk said. “Our goal is to engage our residents holistically. Meet their need intellectually, socially, physically, and spiritually.
“These residents have been so strong, and they know that they will get through this pandemic, that they will be with their families again. I cannot wait for them to experience that moment. In the meantime our entire team does everything we can to have these residents stay safe and engaged.”
According to Lisa Fischetti, it is the network’s duty to its residents as well as staff. Fischetti is the senior director of communications for the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network. Since the start of the pandemic, she noted the organization has been “proactive” and ahead of the guidance because they wanted to take action to protect the residents and team members.
From the beginning of the pandemic last March, Presbyterian SeniorCare began communicating with families, residents and staff before guidance and mandates came from the state. The network used every channel including social media. Network-wide messaging to staff about restricted visitation began March 13, and there were advertisements in newspapers to alert the public about policies and precautionary measures, press releases and resident flyers.
Internally, the personal care centers throughout the network adapted. Communal dining couldn’t occur. Worship service at the chapel on the Washington campus couldn’t be held, but television services were provided. Some group activities, like yoga, where chairs are spaced 10 feet apart, have returned, and some exercise classes are now broadcast. In some cases, therapists go room to room and work with residents.
“We’ve gotten creative,” said Fischetti. “Instead of groups, we are finding a way to deliver personally.
“We are a people business, and our team members are passionate. They follow protocols and have compassion. After the day, they are exhausted because they have a huge sense of responsibility. They want to keep their patients inspired and motivated, and we have a motivated and inspired team.”
Residents, like Donati, are inspiring, says Fischetti.
“We are here to protect the greatest generation,” she said. “The people we serve, particularly those in Washington County, are amazingly resilient. Think about what they have lived through: polio, small pox, world wars and the depression.”
Surviving all that, Donati adds, is “about the same” as enduring this pandemic.
Of his military service, Donati said it was not “nerve-wracking” because he enjoyed the flying aspect of his missions. He said he also remembered the “lumps of sugar” he received after being vaccinated against polio. He said that disease was worse than the COVID-19 because it “crippled” people.
“So, the past year, really hasn’t been that bad.”
Missing going to church and being able to do things with his family, though, has been terrible for Donati. Typically during holidays like Easter and Christmas, he would go out to eat in a restaurant.
For Thanksgiving last year, residents enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the trimmings in a socially distanced congregate setting.
In December, extra window visits were scheduled along with FaceTime and Zoom calls. On Christmas Eve, there were holiday movies, a marshmallow snowball fight, Christmas Bingo and a reading by the fireplace of “Twas The Night Before Christmas” – complete with hot cocoa and cookies. Additionally gifts for the residents from team members, families and donations through an Amazon Wish List were wrapped and placed under the tree. Residents also watched “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
And for Donati, it has been and continues to be a great existence.
“The day that I realized that I had to go into a home was one of my darkest days because I was giving up my independence, but it ended up being the best thing that I did. I like it here. Very much,” he said. “The nurses all are wonderful. I can’t praise them enough.”
Donati added, “I don’t let the pandemic worry me because I know there are so many people who are worse off than I am.”