Families Reunited With Loved Ones At North Texas Assisted Living Facility For First Time In Months
CROWLEY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Families with loved ones at Anchor Way Senior Care in Crowley were able to see them face to face for the first time since March, but it didn't happen without some creativity.
"To stand in for these families, has meant so much to me," said Shelita Woods, owner of Anchor Way Senior Care.
Since the facility hasn't had a single COVID-19 case, Woods said she wanted to find a unique way to reunite families with their loved ones, while still keeping them safe.
"The state told us we can only do Plexiglass and I'm like, 'What does that look like?'" she said.
So she and her team built a 6-foot, three-sided plastic "visitation suite" for her senior residents to have visitors.
"The first couple of months, I'll be honest, all I did was cry because I was used to seeing her every day," said Adonna Vrba, a family member of one of the residents. "I'm so thankful for this place. I mean, not everybody gets to do this."
Each resident could book a 30-minute long, no-contact visit.
Woods said even though a lot of her residents have dementia, she knew in her heart what the visits meant to them.
"If they can't respond they can hear the voices, and I know that their hearts are very happy right now. I want to just give love, and now at this point with the pandemic. It's just making sure families can still see their loved ones."
