Nursing home’s measures bring outside contact closer to reality

Maureen Hernon and Mary Bell settle in to loungers in the oratory of St Mary’s Nursing Home in Shantalla in the city.

It’s 10.30 on Friday morning of the week when phase one of lockdown restrictions were eased – and both women, residents of the home, are waiting to be entertained.

They’re dressed to the nines and immaculately turned out – St Mary’s healthcare assistants have had to up-skill in hairdressing since Coronavirus reached Ireland.

A private audience with musician Val McNicholas, a Swinford native who now lives in Taylor’s Hill, awaits the glamorous duo.

“Maureen,” shouts Val through a glass partition which has new technology that facilitates safe, socially distant visiting.

“This one’s for you, í nGaeilge,” he says, before strumming his guitar and singing a rendition of Ave Maria in Irish for Maureen, a native speaker.

Mary, from Mayo, and Maureen from Furbo, beam when the music starts. It brings back memories of weekly Monday sessions they used to enjoy before visiting was curtailed due to fears of Covid-19 reaching the home.

“We’d get the staff and residents to sing as well. Anything can happen,” says Val of the sessions that can now safely resume.  “We tell stories and tell poems and we get the residents and staff to do their party piece as well. They love it, they light up.”

Visitor restrictions have been in place due to Covid-19 for nine weeks, but the home has now converted its small chapel into a safe space where family and performers like Val can visit.

A glass wall separates Mary, Maureen and St Mary’s staff, Carol Preisler, Director of Operations, Linda Cunningham, and Mary Carpenter, Director of Nursing, from Val and the Connacht Tribune.

There are two gaps in the glass, fitted with Melapholes – a technology that allows visitors and residents to interact safely, face-to-face. It’s similar to technology used in prison visiting rooms but the comparison ends there.

“They (Melapholes) won’t let the virus through and they amplify the sound, for people who have difficulty hearing,” explains Ms Carpenter. “We were long enough having no visitors,” she adds.

Ms Priesler agrees it’s a welcome addition. “It’s so families aren’t outside, looking in bedroom windows. At least here they can sit down, and have a chat, and it’s more comfortable, there’s more space.

“We started it the last couple of days, and we’re doing it on a booking basis, so that there is social distancing for the people coming in, and so that there is staff available to be with the residents on this side. It’s worked out really well.”

Jack Finnerty, a local craftsman, installed it. Before this, residents and families kept in touch through letters and more modern modes, but Skype and teleconferencing isn’t for everyone. “This is simpler and it’s better,” says Ms Priesler.

Covid-19 has ravaged some nursing homes, particularly in Dublin, but St Mary’s hasn’t lost any residents to the virus – Ms Carpenter credits that to having time, compared with the East coast, to up-skill and put policy and procedures in place.

“This is a community, this is a home but all of a sudden we’d to flip into almost becoming an acute hospital. It was very unusual, that’s not what we’re trained for. We had time; if we got a case now – hopefully we won’t – but we’d be ready and trained,” she says.

Meanwhile, the residents are enjoying the concert and conversation.

Maureen Hernon, a keen gardener, was eager to chat with the Connacht Tribune.

“I’m from Furbo . . . I was born in Barna, and I worked in the telephone exchange in Galway, and then I retired from there,” she says.

Mary Bell adds: “I’m from Mayo originally, from Hollymount and I grew up on a farm. I’ve been in Galway in recent times.”

Both agree Val’s music and the new visitor arrangements are great.

Val’s sister, a nun and former music teacher who has Alzheimer’s, is a resident in the home and many of the weekly performers who volunteer their time, have connections with St Mary’s.

“It’s our giving back, if you like,” says Val.