Hospital Helping Patients Get One-On-One Time With Families Through iPad Calls As Health Experts Forecast Third Surge
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- At many hospitals in the Southland, like USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, healthcare teams are overwhelmed by the number of patients coming in, but they're taking steps to make sure everyone is cared for and gets some TLC.
Workers take turns during breaks filling the hallways with music, as cheery decorations draped on desks and equipment soften the critical work they do to keep patients alive.
iPads, too, are playing a role in the pandemic by bridging the gap for patients -- COVID and non-COVID -- who are all isolated due to pandemic restrictions.
On Tuesday, Bridget Berg, the Hospital Program Manager of Patient Experience, had a patient spend the last moments with her family online.
"So you know hearing people sing and letting her know it's ok, that was a bit touching," Berg said.
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital recently got a donation of dozens of iPads from J's Maintenance in La Crescenta.
Now, they need adjustable mounts to hold the iPads, so even patients too weak to sit up or hold it can virtually spend time with friends and family.
"It's nice for, even though you can't be physically present you can still engage and connect through voice, they do say that's kind of the last to go for patients," Berg said.
While the holidays are meant to be filled with joy, the reality of the pandemic means that many patients will spend this time in the coronavirus unit and for too many, it will be their last, prompting health leaders to beg people to cancel plans to get together and help defy the projections of a third surge.
"We are forecasting that in this current surge, between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31st of 2021, 8,700 people in LA County will die from Covid, that is nearly three times the number of people that died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks," said Dr. Christina Ghaley, the Director of the L.A. County Department of Health Services.
If you'd like to help USC Verdugo Hills to get those iPad mounts, you can call 818-952-2228.