Alyssa Ridenour
reporter@greenepublishing.com
On Monday, Sept. 21, Lake Park of Madison Nursing and Rehabilitation officially reopened its doors to family visitors. For the past six months, visitation was shut down in order to follow state-required restrictions in efforts to protect residents from COVID-19, since the majority of residents fall into the age bracket where COVID-19 could be deadly for them.
Five residents have already had the pleasure of enjoying a visit with family since doors reopened. "Like our residents and their loved ones, we have been waiting for this day for a long time," says Nursing Center Executive Director, Karen Soehner. "Connecting with, touching, and hugging is so critical to our residents' well-being, so we are immensely grateful that families and residents can be together again. We are looking forward to more of these safe and special family reunions."
Throughout the extensive outbreak of COVID-19, Lake Park of Madison has made the safety of staff and residents their top priority. As the reopening continues, Lake Park of Madison's leadership is working diligently to ensure the safety of residents, their families and staff, while being careful to comply with state directives and health and safety protocols.
Lake Park of Madison predicts that the visits with family, made possible by their reopened doors, will positively impact the residents' quality of life, and help bring a sense of normalcy back into the care center.
"Visiting my aunt at Lake Park and getting to see her up close, after months of only virtual meetings, brought tears to my eyes," says Maggie James in regards to a resident at the facility. "I haven't felt this kind of joy in a long time. I'm so thankful to Lake Park for making it possible for me to reunite with her while keeping her safe."