Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 10

192 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10 some of the policies and procedures in regard to cleaning and disinfecting, especially in areas that would be considered high touch-points like countertops, laptops, and computers,” Banas reports. “We also provided a lot of positive reinforcement and emotional support to mitigate some of the negative comments our staff was receiving from residents and family members who didn’t like the changes.” Leading with grace, Gardant encouraged a bit of creativity in lieu of the routine activity programming. With that, they started seeing more residents on social media – using FaceTime and Skype in various ways to interconnect. Staff were also known to use humor to relieve some of the pandemic fatigue. “On April Fool’s Day of 2020, our dining staff up at Heritage Woods of Rockford treated residents to cupcakes for lunch, but the cupcakes were meatloaf shaped like a cupcake,” Banas recalls. “Mashed potatoes were formed like frosting on In 2020, COVID-19 exacted a heavy price on the country’s assisted living and senior care facilities, with factors such as critical illness, staffing shortages, restricted visitations, and drops in new admissions putting enormous pressure on the long-term care system. Banas says that the way Gardant approached the pandemic was “very proactive” in terms of monitoring and adhering to the recommended guidelines at the federal, state, and local levels. He recalls, “It was all designed to protect the health and safety of residents and their families. We locked down the communities to essential visitors only. We discontinued communal dining and group activities. We instituted quarantine requirements for both new residents and existing residents who either tested positive or had left the facility to visit family.” They were also “very diligent” with respect to the procurement and use of personal protective equipment. “We instituted training for our staff on the use of the equipment, as well as on