OCEAN CITY — About a year ago, family brought Eleanor Economou from Missouri to The Shores, a senior living facility on Bay Avenue.
One of the main reasons for the cross-country move was Economou’s connection to the area.
“I summered here as a child. When my husband and I were first married, we lived in Philadelphia, so it was a natural place for us to bring the children,” said Economou, 90. “We continued to do that when we moved far away.”
But with the spread of COVID-19 in March, the facility, part of the United Methodist Communities, was one of the first in the area to close to visitors over concerns about transmission of the virus.
The move was a difficult one for family members and residents, but it proved effective, limiting the number of reported cases to 21 (five residents and 16 staff) and one death.
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That’s notable, given the virus has been particularly devastating in long-term care facilities, with more than 36,598 cases reported in those facilities throughout the state as of July 5. Of those, 24,258 were residents and 12,340 staff. The disease has caused 6,554 resident fatalities and 119 deaths of staff members, according to the numbers posted as of July 5.
Now, with more access being granted to residents since June 21, Economou has been happy to welcome a new system for visits, held outdoors under the front porte cochere.
On a recent weekday, she and fellow resident Nancy Longenecker sat in the shade waiting for family members.
“I had surgery at Penn, and then my kids put me here,” said Longenecker, 91 of Yardley, Pennsylvania. “I am so grateful that I am here for this, because they have really taken care of us.”
Both women wore masks outside. Longenecker said she worked in health care, but still hates wearing the masks. She has been at the facility for almost four years.
Ensuring all wear masks is one of the requirements of accepting visitors, according to Michele Musto, the volunteer service coordinator at The Shores. The outside visiting area was a recent initiative, she said, starting June 21. Visitors get their temperature checked, must wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet from the resident, something that seemed difficult for family members who longed to embrace their parents or grandparents.
Musto said she is able to keep everyone cooperating.
“We’re saying to them that we need your help to keep everyone safe,” she said. “Without their help, we may shut it down. We want to keep outdoor visitation open.”
While Longenecker was speaking, the daughter of a friend at the facility walked up to give her an enthusiastic greeting. She does her mother’s laundry every week, she said, but they have not visited face to face.
“I haven’t seen her in, like, 90 days,” she said.
Later, when her mom came out in a wheelchair, with the help of an assistant, the daughter seemed barely able to contain herself. Musto encouraged them each to hug themselves instead of each other.
With a line of tables set in the shade in front of the building, a few families gathered. At one table, they sang “Happy Birthday,” while two small dogs tangled their leashes amid the chair legs during the visit.
In Cape May County, the virus has impacted 11 facilities, with 51 deaths reported in residential facilities in the county, according to state records Cape May County’s public information office reports 48 deaths in long-term care.
Both Economou and Longenecker feel confident about the protections put in place at The Shores, even if they sometimes find them inconvenient.
“We’re supposed to stay in our rooms, you know,” Longenecker said. “They may be loosening up a little bit.”
Before the pandemic, she said, meals were a social time at the facility, with residents gathered around common tables. According to staff members, that had to end with the risk of infection, as did other group activities, many of which were popular. According to staff members, they’ve tried to keep the residents’ spirits up in other ways, including the use of digital platforms for visits.
Longenecker has enjoyed the online meetings, held every Sunday night.
“I have a daughter up in New Hampshire and one in Massachusetts. And a grandson in Colorado and a daughter in Florida. So the Zoom meetings are really fun,” she said.
The facility also had a booth set up to accommodate visits, with the residents protected behind plastic glass and headphones to help them hear the muffled voices. But both Economou and Longenecker said there is nothing like seeing people face to face.
