Visiting loved ones for Mother’s Day at The Bluffs is a unique opportunity during the pandemic

Like many people who call long-term care facilities home, residents of The Bluffs Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center have not had visitors for weeks due to the spread of COVID-19.

Amy Vinson, the center’s activities director, became creative in honor of Mother’s Day to provide residents a way to visit with family.

“Today we are doing what we call the drive by Mother’s Day,” Vinson said. “We set up a window for our lovely residents here.”

Visitors can walk up to the large window and call a number and talk to their loved ones by phone while seeing each other safely through the window.

“Since quarantine has come along, they are not allowed to have visitors in the building,” Vinson said. “Our families and our residents have been so understanding. We wanted to do something special for our moms.”

Vinson said residents who are mothers will benefit by seeing their children through the window, but she said there are also children in the facility that have the opportunity to see their mothers during these difficult times.

One mother, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, placed her daughter in The Bluffs and benefited from the unique visiting opportunity Friday.

The mother said the moment meant everything to her, and she is so grateful for The Bluffs providing care for her daughter.

To follow the rules about groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vinson created scheduled times for visitors to visit residents. The Bluffs’ staff and residents baked cookies and made special crafts for their loved ones that are given to visitors at their scheduled time.

Next week is National Nursing Home Week, and once again Vinson has created a fun time for the residents all while keeping them safe during these uncertain times.

“Usually activity directors rely a lot on volunteers and people coming in, but this year we don’t have all that,” she said.

Vinson will be bringing a live Elvis Presley impersonator in the parking lot for a private concert. She even plans to have a large projector in the parking lot for the residents to watch the movie “Grease” accompanied by a cookout for residents only.

Vinson said Nursing Home Week is usually celebrated with lots of visitors and family members, but she is trying to make the best of the situation.

“We really just appreciate everybody being supportive, understanding and respectful of social distancing and the things we are having to do for the safety of our residents and their families,” she said.

See our on-the-scene video on our Facebook page.

A previous version of this story misspelled Amy Vinson’s last name. The Vicksburg Daily News apologizes for the error.