By John Estridge
It took 13 weeks due to the COVID-19 shutdown, but Whitewater Commons is once again allowing immediate family in-person visits to its tenants.
Melissa Spillers, her sister, Ginger Brown, and Melissa’s mom, Ginger Dearth, were able to visit Melissa’s grandma, Norma Paddock, on Monday, July 13.
According to Spillers, that was the first day the nursing home opened in-person visitation for immediate-family-only by appointment.
Until Monday, they had visited Paddock through a window.
“We have visited at the window for 13 weeks, and we are thrilled to have been able to be at the end of her bed on Monday,” Spillers said. “Even though it was hard for her to figure out who we were since we had the masks on, it was great to see her and hear her giggle.”
While it has been hard not to see their loved one in person through this pandemic, Spillers said she and her family are very thankful to the nursing home and all who work there in keeping the people living there safe.
“We are thankful that she was kept safe during this pandemic and that the facility kept my mom (Ginger Dearth) informed on my Granny’s (Norma Paddock) condition,” Spillers said. “It was rough as a family to visit during Easter, or really any day since this started, at the window. We were able to make phone calls to her while we were outside the window, and the staff would hold the phone and let us talk.”
Family members got inventive during the 13-week hiatus and did a number of different things outside her window.
“On several occasions, the family brought musical instruments and played outside her window for her,” Spillers said.
However, Paddock could not clearly hear them sing through the window. And that was done Monday, with family members singing in person.
“She really missed hearing my Mom, Ginger Dearth, sing,” Spillers said. “We have really missed being with her.”
But again, Spillers said the wait was worth it since Paddock and others remained safe through this perilous time, especially perilous for the older population.
“We definitely wanted her to be safe, so we did what we had to do to continue to visit,” Spillers said. “Since my sister, Ginger, was home this week, what a blessing that she was able to visit on Monday too.”
For immediate family only and visiting by appointment only is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and 2-6 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday. Call 765-458-5117 for an appointment.