Counting our COVID 19 Blessings!
May 12, 2020 | Colorado, COVID-19, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nexion Health 20th Anniversary, Texas
2020 was to be one of celebration…
Nexion Health would celebrate 20 years in April as a leader in long term care. The details were lined out, the party was set, invitations mailed and then a gift we never dreamed of came early.
In early March, Nexion Health was first impacted by COVID-19. Not a “gift” suitable for a company celebrating its 20th year in long term care. But a gift none the less. You see, COVID-19 gave us a chance to display what our company was built on and remind us why we are trusted to provide long term care for thousands across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Colorado.
COVID-19 has taken people we care deeply about away from us. It has created sadness, isolation, depression and stress for our residents, staff and families. However, this pandemic has also brought out the best in our people. The selflessness, the bravery, the thoughtfulness and sacrifice by our facility leadership, support team members, facility staff and caregivers has easily out shined the ugliness of COVID-19.
Everyone became someone else. No longer were you just a nurse, or therapist, or business development or clinical liaison. Now you were a “COVID CATCHER” tirelessly combing through medical records for any hint or sign of the virus 12 hours a day. Or you were a “Family Liaison” responsible for creating calm and alleviating fears for the residents and their families and making little wishes and wants come true.
No challenge was too great for any of our affiliates. Need a new way to do bingo? Our activities personnel made it happen with “doorway” bingo. Can’t have families come inside? No problem, our iDOCS Telemedicine vendor generously connected our families with their loved ones through their app on iPADs and cell phones. Our families adapted to window visits and drive by and honk parades. Staff sick? No worries. Our office staff have trained to be nurse aides and our therapists became primary caregivers on their hall they were assigned. These were the simpler of solutions to many of the immediate challenges the virus presented us.
For our facilities hardest hit by the virus, it took droves of heroes willing to leave their families and sometimes their states to go meet the needs of our residents and give staff the much needed breaks and healing they needed. Support team members spent nearly all day, 7 days a week triaging, coordinating, planning, training, educating and many times consoling facilities under attack by the virus. Everywhere we looked, our staff, residents, families, vendors, communities willingly answered the call.
Suddenly, we realized we were celebrating 20 years of leading in long term care through our response to this pandemic. We were unwilling to let it take our joy, so we made fun uplifting videos by giving our staff and residents a face and a voice during this troubling time. We did not let it destroy our sense of community by continuing to organize local supply drives or receive donations from local eateries and organizations to celebrate our heroes. And most importantly we didn’t let it defeat us. We were #NexionStrong because we were 20 years strong.
As we look ahead to the rest of 2020, focused on continuing to fight this virus, we will be stronger and more committed than ever before to caring for this precious and vulnerable population in the years to come. We are no longer just celebrating 20 years, we are also celebrating over 270 “blessings”, residents and staff who have recovered from COVID-19. And to those who are still fighting to recover, we will continue to be #NexionStrong for you!