Josiah Grothe, Administer of Heartland, a Community Based Residential Facility (CBRF) located in Wautoma spoke to Rotary club members in person and by Zoom about how COVID-19 affected the facility.
Like all CBRF’s, Heartland House locked down in the earliest days of the pandemic. After many weeks of no visitors it was decided to open on June 15. Within three weeks a positive COVID test caused the facility to close the doors again to visitors.
Among the many challenges to keep the residents safe was how to provide hot meals for 60 residents. Another concern to address was the isolation of the residents for months. The staff worked overtime to keep the residents in good spirits and to minimize the physical and mental stress that they were under.
During the whole pandemic the staff has all been paid whether or not they worked. So far Heartland House has had only two confirmed cases of the virus with no staff members with confirmed cases.
In January the first dose of the vaccine was given to the staff with the second injection to be administered in early February. Within two weeks after the last shots are given, some visits will be welcome back in to see their loved ones.
The Wautoma Rotary meets every Wednesday at noon at the Stahl Celebration and Remembrance Center east of Wautoma and on Zoom. Rotary welcomes visitors and prospective new members to each meeting. Masks are required for the in person at this time.
-
Josiah Grothe spoke to Rotary members about the challenges and how they are persevering at the Heartland House.