Magnolia Manor Blog

Many seniors have had a chance to travel the world over, or at least visit a few intriguing destinations across the country or in a foreign land. But not everyone has been so fortunate. And these days, travel is off the menu, especially for seniors who are at higher risk of COVID-19 or who may be in less-than-travel-worthy health.

The next best thing? Travel documentaries! Richly rewarding, absorbing, entertaining, and educational. Mild to wild, there is something (or should we say, someplace) for everyone. And so many to choose from! The world of travel documentaries is as vast as the world itself.

The pandemic continues, and we could all use something new to occupy our time, not to mention our hands and our minds, as we wait it out – especially seniors still deprived of in-person visits with loved ones. So here comes some well-timed good news: January is National Hobby Month.

What better time to reacquaint yourself with an old-favorite hobby, or to take up a brand new one. Focusing on something engrossing and learning new things are proven winners when it comes to re-fueling your mind, body, and spirit.

One of the things that distinguishes Magnolia Manor from other senior living communities is the sense of family among staff and residents that permeates all aspects of everyday life and care. In this environment, it’s no surprise that everyone has stepped up to pitch in and make the best of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, boy, do we appreciate these everyday heroes!

Here at Magnolia Manor we’re working hard to keep our residents’ spirits up during these trying COVID-19 times. Naturally that includes spiritual care as well as keeping minds and bodies engaged. After all, we are a faith-based community. Leading the way in this effort is John Walker, Senior Chaplain at our Americus campus and Vice President of Spiritual Care for all nine of our Magnolia Manor campuses.

“It’s totally changed the structure of worship,” he says.

Here at Magnolia Manor, we consider every resident to be a member of our family as well as yours. Since the coronavirus first became known, we have taken maximum precautions that go beyond CDC and State of Georgia guidelines to protect our residents and staff from this very serious health concern. It hasn’t been fun, but it is important! And our diligent efforts are paying off.

UPDATED VISITATION INFORMATION AS OF 11/1/2020:

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought home to all of us just how vital it is to stay connected with loved ones, especially our seniors. Right away, as soon as stay-at-home orders were being issued, our Magnolia Manor team jumped into action. We created Family Connect, a program to keep our residents in touch with their families. No physical contact allowed, maybe, but our goal was to ensure plenty of face time.

We are both proud and pleased to say that Family Connect has been a tremendous success, for everyone involved.

Senior living communities have been front-page news during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic because older adults are more vulnerable to contracting this virus, especially those residents in skilled nursing who are already challenged by significant medical issues. Uppermost in the minds of families as well as residents themselves is what we are doing to keep our communities safe.

Dry. Sore. Red. Itchy. Rough. Chapped, even cracked. Did we mention dry? Your hands have become victims of COVID-19 in an entirely unexpected way, thanks to all that extra hand-washing you’re doing. Seniors are more vulnerable to the side-effects of excessive hand washing because skin naturally loses moisture as we age. You’re also more vulnerable if you’re prone to eczema or other forms of dermatitis.

But this is one problem you can easily solve. And when your hands feel better, you may even feel a little bit better about having to stay away from your friends and family, especially the grandkids.

So let’s heal those dry hands.

Feeling a little too cooped-up in self-quarantine? By now we’re all going a bit stir crazy. For seniors who live alone, physical separation from friends and loved ones can feel especially difficult. Psychologists suggest you should take heart knowing that literally billions of others around the world are also staying at home, many of them alone.

But let’s be honest. Knowing you’re not alone doesn’t really make you feel less alone, does it? It’s time to take action!

It’s so hard knowing your grandkids are close-by, yet, thanks to coronavirus-inspired social distancing, they cannot visit in person so you can hug and smooch and chat with them in the usual ways. Even under normal conditions, lots of grandparents don’t have the luxury of living near their adult children and grandkids. So they know a little something about keeping in touch even when you can’t literally touch each other.

Here are some tips from grandparents who have found rewarding ways to stay connected during these difficult times and beyond.