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'Tears of joy and happiness' as visitors return to nursing homes

It has been three months since residents have been able to see their loved ones in person.

“WE ALL WOKE up in a really anticipatory mood. All day there have been tears of joy and happiness from obviously the residents and visitors but also the staff as well, witnessing these reunions that are so important to everyone.”

Siobhan Grant, manager at St Joseph’s in Shankill Dublin has been welcoming the nursing home’s first visitors in three months.

“The last three months have been a real learning curve for everyone, it’s been difficult and it’s been stressful, but today makes it all worthwhile,” she said.

First in the door was Seamus, who was there to see his wife of over 50 years, Ella.

“It was a bit emotional of course after three months of not seeing my wife Ella. It went extremely well, I was very happy to see her and she was happy to see me and we had a lovely time together,” he said.

Three months is the longest separation I’ve ever had from Ella, it’s been difficult. But it’s helped that I’ve been able to have a video phonecall with Ella every day, that’s been a great help in bridging the gap.

Many of the residents’ family members would have visited daily before the lockdown. Today, appointments had to be scheduled online ahead of time and each visitor could only stay for 30 minutes.

On arrival, they had their temperatures checked and a member of staff went through handwashing and mask application with them before they were taken to meet their relatives.

In between visits, areas used were cleaned down by staff before the next appointment. Grant said the nursing home has not had a case of Covid-19 and she has confidence in the procedures they have put in place for visitors. 

Because of the good weather, some of the visits could also happen outside today, like this one between Michael Ronan and his wife Maura. 

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

“Everyone here has dementia so there have been all of those usual anxieties of ‘will they recognise me?’ as well. Michael came in, his wife Maura is in the later stages of dementia and he brought his accordion with him,” Grant said.

“He says his wife has been listening to him play the accordion for 40 years so it’s his way of keeping that love between them.

“I witnessed them meeting for the first time a few minutes ago and she can’t express herself with words that are distinguishable anymore but she was trying to say hello and her eyes lit up when he started playing.”

At Middletown House in Co Wexford, it has been an equally emotional day. 

“We had a lot of people who used to come on a daily basis to see their husband or wife, living in the locality, and that’s all changed. Some have been cocooning themselves, so it’s been really difficult for everyone”, director of nursing Deepa George told TheJournal.ie.

Last week the nursing home had a full schedule of activities for residents including music and dancing, a gardening competition and a barbecue. 

“It was typical Irish weather, the residents all stayed inside because it was lashing and we brought the burgers into them. It happens every year when we try to do a barbecue,” she joked. 

George said the home’s staff have been “amazing”, helping residents to feel safe and secure during a frightening time for older people. 

She said the new procedures are presenting a challenge, as the home can only facilitate six visits per day, but she said residents and their family members have been “so accommodating and supportive”.

“The visits can’t exceed a half hour, we have a designated room for visiting and staff will check the visitor’s temperature when they arrive, fill in a questionnaire with them and if they need a mask we will provide one.

“That all takes time and we need additional staff available to facilitate the visiting. It’s difficult but it’s so nice to see family back again.”

There were no cases of Covid-19 at Middletown House and George said staff are determined to keep it that way.

“They make a lot of sacrifices to come to work here,” she said.

“The guidelines are allowing people to do more now, but we are all watching our movements, not doing anything wild and exciting on our days off because we know the risks.”

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    Mute Munster1
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:12 PM

    Destroyed for farms so they can sell Europe and the world cheap meat.

    278
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    Mute DERRY1973
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:18 PM

    @Munster1: soya bean more like.

    88
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    Mute john smith iv
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:35 PM

    @Munster1: if that is happening (I’m sure that the EU is mostly sufficient in beef) then get on to your MEP to ban it.

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    Mute Monty Donotno
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 11:42 PM

    @Munster1: more like destroyed for soya bean so they can sell Europe and the world cheap feed for producing meat and milk in their own countries while their governments pretend to care.

    40
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    Mute Bitcoin Buddy
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:23 PM

    IMF / ECB / WEF Wanting Ireland to slow down meat production while backhanding SA deforestation for cheaper meat.

    155
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    Mute Reg
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:32 PM

    Depressing.

    130
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    Mute Andy mc Laughlin
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:51 PM

    I am by no means a tree hugger but you would have to be deluded to think that this isn’t a bad thing.

    129
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    Mute Chief
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:23 PM

    Oh, Manhattan eh. Just down the road from almost none of us.

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    Mute David Duffy
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 12:57 AM

    @Chief: do you not normally measure your rainforests in Manhattan’s?

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    Mute Fachtna Roe
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 9:15 AM

    @Chief: 6 * Manhattan =~ (3 * Dublin) + (1 * Athlone)

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    Mute David Geraghty
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:24 PM

    Is there nowhere with an area six times the size of Manhattan that could have been referred to in the title. Or I don’t know, just say the specific figure

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    Mute Ixtrix Net
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 11:20 PM

    @David Geraghty:
    A little larger than Grenada, or a little smaller than Mayotte. It says nearly 360km² in the article

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    Mute SPQH
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 11:42 PM

    @David Geraghty: Manhattan is now a measurement of area since our stupid obsession with all things NY and the sheer amount of times Hollywood shove it down our throats as the default way a city should look, anything that’s ever happened that’s of any interest has happened in NY and your life is just bleak if you’re beyond bridge and tunnel, unless you’re from LA of course. Isle of Man is about 6 Manhattans.

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    Mute John Johnes
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:23 PM

    A great reason for our gov to tax Irish citizen.

    84
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    Mute Alan Biddulph
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 8:17 AM

    @John Johnes: John I doubt you pay much tax if your intellect and comments on here are anything to go pay.

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    Mute Alan Biddulph
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 8:21 AM

    @Alan Biddulph: By*

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    Mute Tom Gahan
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 6:33 PM

    @John Johnes: Yes indeed and put a bag of coal or a fill of heating oil to unaffordable heights.

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    Mute andrew
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 10:50 PM

    Absolutely dreadful and Bolsonaro is a right piece of work neglecting the Amazon rainforest and the indegenous people

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    Mute Hear me now
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    Feb 2nd 2022, 11:09 PM

    Handed paradise & what do we do…

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    Mute Fachtna Roe
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 9:24 AM

    @Hear me now: Lose it, and write poetry about it?

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    Mute SandraMeyler
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 7:22 AM

    Send Eamon Ryan there for a few years
    He will sort it

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    Mute Alan Biddulph
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 8:14 AM

    @SandraMeyler: Good one Sandra! At least your recycled joke is renewable.

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    Mute Will
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 12:35 PM

    For some perspective, over 60% of Brazil is covered in forest. The figure for Ireland is 12% and that has decreased slightly in the last 20 years.
    When we plant forest we tend to plant non native spruce and the like. This acidifies the soil and leads to a dead forest with little or no biodiversity. We plant for purely commercial reasons. Easy to point the finger at Brazil and tut.
    When you look at Brazils fast increasing population it is no wonder it leads to deforestation on a grand scale. Populists like Bolsonaro aren’t going to stand in the way when there’s money to be made. This leads to jobs which leads to votes. It’s a no brainer for him. Would our lot be any different given the circumstances?

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    Mute Michael Dowling
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 12:47 PM

    This is where the greens should be lobbying not taxing the Irish.

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    Mute Liam Mc Meel
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    Feb 3rd 2022, 12:06 AM

    Make a nice theme park out if that stretch of land

    4
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