Heritage House Healthcare Center in Quitman is reaching out to the community for help with individual activities for residents. Due to state mandates and restrictions because of COVID-19, families and friends cannot visit them, making the days long and leaving them feeling truly isolated.

Inventive family members have come to residents’ windows to visit, and staff is helping residents FaceTime their families. Volunteers have been going around the outside of the building singing and talking to residents through the windows also.

“When we heard about the mandates, I thought it would be terrible. I’ve been surprised by how sweet and understanding families and residents have been,” said marketing director Connie Cobbs.

Heritage is taking extreme precautions to protect its residents. Daily as staff arrives, their temperature is recorded and they must fill out a questionnaire about who they’ve been in contact with and where they’ve been since their last shift.

Essential vendors, hospice and physicians also have their temperature recorded and must fill out the questionnaire. Additionally, they are taken to the bathroom and observed practicing proper hand washing. As they leave the building, their temperature is recorded again.

The residents’ temperatures are monitored daily and there have been no cases of coronavirus, but residents are encouraged to maintain the six foot rule. They are free to move around the building, but the regular group activities and gatherings are cancelled.  

Activities Director Lauren Hamilton is setting up in-room, individual activities such as puzzles, books and games with each resident. Community members are encouraged to help by sending care packages with items residents can do themselves, snacks, candy and cards. Contact Hamilton at 903-763-2284.

Heritage House is still accepting referrals of people who show no signs of symptoms. Once admitted, new residents are isolated for a period of time and are free to come out of quarantine after they have been cleared.