The Cordell Christian Home and the Baptist Village of Cordell, like many of their counterparts across the state, have faced challenges since the COVID-19 outbreak. Both have implemented quite a few restrictions and taken extra precautions.
Gayle Wilcox is the administrator of the Cordell Christian Home which is a nursing home. “We’ve been on lockdown since St. Patrick’s Day. We only allow visitors on end of life situations,” she said.
Wilcox explained, “We are and have been COVID-free. Each week I log into the Oklahoma Alert System that is color coded and whatever the color this area is that dictates what I can do.”
She noted that while visitation is not allowed except in the already mentioned situations, “We allow window visits. That’s not a substitute for hugging and loving, but that’s what we can do,” she stated.
Wilcox said that Skype and Face Time are utilized, too, noting, “Sometimes the residents see themselves on the screen and they don’t want to participate.”
The nursing home is licensed for 110 beds. “It was actually built as a retirement center in the 60’s. The rooms are built as a suite. We have beds only on one side due to the fire code,” Wilcox commented.
She pointed out, “Our census is in the 40’s. Since COVID hit, it’s been a little down bit down. Because of strict admission requirements by the State Health Department, families are reluctant to admit their loved ones at this time,” she thinks.
Wilcox pointed to her staff. “We have Heroes who work here. I like to call them that.”
Families are not free to visit during the Pandemic.
She emphasized, “There are activities we can’t do. We can’t play toss the ball, so we’ve gotten very creative in the things we do.
“We have hall bingo and we do hall exercises. Just recently we’ve allowed our residents to come out to a common place, but they must maintain social distancing.”
In talking about the staff, she noted, “They must wear a mask at all times. They sanitize when they enter the building, they have their temperatures taken. They sanitize everything they have, both at the beginning and the end of their shift,” she continued.
Vendors are not allowed inside the building, Wilcox stated. “Only for an emergency repair or a medical emergency is a vendor allowed inside the building,” she added.
When a regular vendor delivers something, a staff member takes it to an area where it’s sanitized before it’s brought into the building.
“Lots of precautions,” Wilcox said. “I’d like to think these precautions have helped along the way.”
Wilcox said, “Our facility appreciates the community and the residents’ families’ support during the Pandemic because they have been wonderful to us.”
Lindsay Altenhofel is manager of the Baptist Village, an independent living retirement center. “We’re a residential retirement living campus, part of the Baptist Village Community,” she said.
“We have 46 apartments, single and double occupancy,” Altenhofel stated.
The Center has some one bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. “We have some single and some couples,” she related. “Currently we have about 46 residents.”
Altenhofel explained, “Normally, we are an open facility. When COVID hit, we started out on lockdown. That lasted from March to around June 1, three months.”
Continuing, she said, “In that time Baptist Village communities made available food, many people volunteered to pick up groceries, deliver prescriptions, run errands, and do whatever needed to be done.”
“The First Baptist Church fixed and delivered meals. Many, many people took care of us and that was very much appreciated,” Altenhofel said.
She commented that, “We weren’t allowed to have activities during the lockdown. We didn’t have our normal activities at that time,” she noted.
Since reopening around June 1, residents are allowed to come and ago. She mentioned, too, visitors are allowed. Visitors may come between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Their temperatures are taken and they must fill out a questionnaire that is put out by CDC,” Altenhofel stated.
She stressed, “Not visitation is allowed on weekends inside, but they can go outside and have visitors during the weekends.”
Anyone who enters the building must wear a mask.
Altenhofel said the residents can play bingo on Monday and Thursday each week and added, “We’ve had some outside concerts and we’ve had health care companies provide refreshments.”
“We are very fortunate because we have residents who are talented musicians and they’ve played for us,” she said.
Also, among the activities, devotions are held each week.
Altenhofel emphasized, “Our residents can come and go freely at any time. From the time we went on lockdown until June 1, they couldn’t leave the facility.”
She pointed out that none of the residents have tested positive of COVID. “We are so fortunate,” she believes.
They do have apartment openings at this time, she concluded.