The changes of COVID-19: A look at COVID and community

How the pandemic is changing us

[ By Snow Burns ]

(Editor’s Note: Snow Burns and her family are recent transplants to the Gunnison Valley living in Mt. Crested Butte. Snow approached the News about conducting a series looking at how COVID-19 has changed the valley in the last 10 months. Her first interview focuses on the county’s Senior Care Center…)

This interview series, devoted to the Gunnison County community’s collective COVID-19 efforts, looks back on many ways our community has supported each other in the past year. Even in this most difficult year, there have been countless acts of adaptation, innovation, grit and love; we have somehow managed to become closer than ever – all while remaining physically apart. It is a pleasure to be able to share a few of these stories.

Senior Care Center
The Gunnison Valley Senior Care Center is a special place. For the uninitiated, it focuses on community living, and is divided into three neighborhoods: Taylor Park, Van Tuyl and Blue Mesa. Each neighborhood has its own programming, activities and celebrations, helping residents feel a sense of family and belonging. The Gunnison Valley community devotes many volunteer hours and resources toward making the residents’ lives wonderful: together with the facility staff they organize musical events, shows, children’s visits, outings, activities and – during the holiday season – donating wrapped gifts for every resident.
Shandy Kibler has been the resident services manager for 12 years. I spoke to Shandy about how she and her fellow staff have adapted to pandemic realities, from helping families feel close to their loved ones to making the season merry.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your relationship with the Gunnison County community:
I was born and raised in Gunnison; I did leave for a short stint to go to college but returned graduating from Western State. I married my high school sweetheart and we are raising my two boys in this wonderful town. I know a lot about this community, and am very vested here, especially working at the Senior Care Center. I get to help the people that once helped me, and I can give back in that way.

Living here my whole life, people know me so it helps with the transition of bringing loved ones to the SCC. In a normal world, it is very hard to move a loved one to long-term care, but particularly during COVID it is extra hard, so having that familiarity, closeness and trust is very important.

What does community mean to you?
For me, it’s being able to walk down the street and you don’t get very far because you know everyone walking past you. I always think of the Cheers song that says, “where everybody knows your name.” Community is about all of us coming together, especially during this time. I feel very fortunate that all of us have worked together to make it a safe place: for school, sports, for a safe place to come to work, and our businesses are open. That’s what community is: all hands on deck and working together to find a solution.

Tell me about the work that you do, and how the pandemic has impacted and changed it.
A lot has changed. We are one of the most highly regulated industries in the world, and along with that we are caring for a vulnerable population. We all want to protect them through this pandemic. Colorado has put a lot of restrictions on us: we are the first that get the restrictions and the last to have them released. It’s hard for residents not having their families as close as they’d like – but as staff we have really tried every day to give them all the love and care they deserve.

We have an amazing group of people that want to make each day as joyful as possible. Without the families, it’s been hard. In the beginning we set up Facetime, Skype, Zoom, church services went online, we wrote letters to families and took pictures and staff was using their own personal phones to help residents see their families.

Our administrative assistant Kelly Winn came up with a Senior Spotlight – showing what activities are happening this month and in coming months and she has planned some amazing activities involving the families and community at a distance. This month’s Senior Spotlight highlights our candlelight dinner. It is a seven-course meal, and we decorate the facility to the hilt. We get the residents dressed up, we get their hair done and we dress up and serve dinner to them. This time the families can’t be there, but we’re trying to make it as special as possible.

The residents have made ornaments, and Santa Claus is visiting. We are trying to keep the connection as much as we can, not being in the same space but at a distance, we want to show families we are still going strong and active here on the inside, of course we can’t replace family. We have enjoyed decorating the neighborhoods while drinking hot cocoa and watching White Christmas. Each staff member has chosen a neighborhood and we call ourselves a family. My family planned activities together: this month, it’s decorating the Christmas tree, baking, candlelight dinner, arts and crafts, nerf guns!

Residents are able to go into our new outdoor space: our maintenance man Dennis Apsey is amazing – he built it for us. For a temporary outdoor structure he went above and beyond and did an incredible job. We are very fortunate to have this outdoor and heated space for families to continue to enjoy visits with their loved ones.

 
How are you doing? How are the people around you?
The staff are coming in and working hard, they continue to enjoy spending time with the residents.  I love being here and making a difference, showing love and compassion in the residents and families’ lives. Some days can be trying because everything is harder with COVID. But our everyday care has not changed.

I’m doing well. I feel very happy that I can come to work and try to make a little bit of a difference. We’ve really tried to be creative here and that makes me feel proud. We can put a smile on somebody’s face and make somebody feel good. We have brought a cat into the Van Tuyl neighborhood. His name is Stewart and the residents are LOVING having a cat to cuddle with.

 
Have you been able to feel the community’s efforts to keep the virus at bay?
I think the community is SO supportive. We get phone calls, letters, flowers, food – they have helped us so much. The families’ biggest concern is that as staff, we are still being careful as well outside the facility. Staff is really committed and the community has been so understanding and supportive. Families have been very appreciative of all the precautions we have put into place.

Any final thoughts?
Our Community has taken COVID-19 very seriously and we have been a leader and good example for so many other communities.  I am so proud of all of us and our efforts to protect one another. I want the community to know that the residents and staff are staying strong. The holidays are in full swing at the Senior Care Center. So I want to thank the community for their kindness, prayers and support. We have so much outreach from the community, the college, the community schools, churches and so many more. We feel so blessed and loved. So thank you for your kind words, letters of encouragement, food, flowers and so many other services. It is very much appreciated.

Next up: We’ll be hearing from Gunnison and CB teachers on continuing to teach during the pandemic.