Coast nursing home’s pen pal program brings joy to seniors cooped up by COVID pandemic
It’s been almost five months since a visitor was allowed to sit with residents at Sunplex Subacute Center in Ocean Springs.
The coronavirus has kept the long-term tenants in their rooms since March, with outside contact limited to seeing family and friends through windows or talking by phone.
“With the increase in cases, we really don’t see visitors coming in anytime soon,” Director of Community Relations Sandy Moore told the Sun Herald. “That’s when we came up with the pen pal idea.”
The center began posting photos of residents on their Facebook page posing with a whiteboard that included their names, interests, hobbies and favorite snacks.
“Some of our residents are gardeners, nature buffs, veterans and more,” Moore said. “This helps to reconnect them to their lives outside of the here and reinvigorate their lives.”
Moore said that connecting the senior citizens with people who share their interests helps them focus on the positives while being asked to stay inside their rooms during COVID-19. She said that gifts such as puzzles, crosswords, games, coloring books are also welcome.
“It help to takes their focus off of COVID-19, and focuses on them enjoying their lives,” Moore said.
If a pen pal sends a letter, Moore asks that those who write use large print to help the residents read the letters easier. She said one of the residents’ favorite letters are ones that have bright drawings from children or posters with inspirational sayings to hang on their walls. The center has also created an Amazon wish list.
“It brings them so much joy,” Moore said. “It’s been such a beautiful things. The people giving them are almost as happy to do it as those doing them.”
The two posts on the center’s Facebook page have been shared hundreds of times. Moore said she was “shocked” at the response and that more residents have asked to be part of the pen pal program.
Moore said she hopes this will inspire others not only to reach out to residents at the Sunplex, but also other nursing homes and rehabilitation centers across the Mississippi Coast.
“We don’t want our senior citizens to go unnoticed,” Moore said. “There are so many across the Coast that haven’t been able to have a visitor since March. Little gestures like this bring so much joy to people who may need a little extra during this time.”
If you’d like to become a pen pal, the Sunplex Subacute Center pins their most updated list of residents on its Facebook page.