COVID-19 Updates

Provider Daily Special Edition: Stories of Care

This special edition series of Provider Daily is designed to keep Provider subscribers abreast of positive news in the long term care profession. To share your stories of care, please email storiesofcare@ahca.org. When submitting a story, please include a link to the story either from social media or a news outlet. When posting on social media, remember to tag our Facebook and Twitter handles (@AHCANCAL).

Stories of Care is now distributed weekly on Tuesdays.

SPANISH FLU AND COVID SURVIVOR OFFERS ADVICE

Mildred Geraldine “Gerri” Schappals survived a bout with the Spanish flu as a baby and now, 100 years later, has recovered from COVID as well. Gerri keeps the staff and fellow residents at Huntington at Nashua entertained, said Lisa Valcourt, executive director. The 102-year-old advises young people to be positive and honest with themselves and thinks, “Most people are innately good and sympathetic.”

OLDEST LIVING MARINE CELEBRATES 105TH BIRTHDAY WITH COMMUNITY PARADE

America’s oldest living Marine Corps veteran celebrated his 105th birthday. With the help of his assisted living community, Major Bill White was visited by several loved ones and residents, all who wanted to salute him on his special day. “Feels just as good as it did at 104,” White said. “Right now I’m trying for 106,” he said. “One at a time.”

COMMUNITY HOLDS PRAYER VIGIL FOR NURSING HOME RESIDENTS

A group of local residents including the mayor held a prayer vigil for a nursing home in Canton, N.C. The event was meant to lift the morale of employees and residents. “They get up every morning, they say a prayer, they put on their equipment, they show up, because they know they have a job as an angel to be there for the families that can not be,” Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said.

STAFF KEEPS COVID OUT OF FACILITY BY MOVING IN

Staff at The Inn at SharonBrooke decided in March to isolate inside the building to keep their residents safe from coronavirus. Through May, the staff did not have a single positive case and began to return to more regular shift rotations. With increasing cases, however, they are returning to their previous isolation protocol to continue to keep COVID out of the building.