COVID-19 has heavily impacted our long-term care services and programs, creating a significant problem for caregivers, particularly for caregivers caring for those living with complex, chronic conditions. Caregivers need to manage their day-to-day care activities while working from home. Seeing this, Mon Sheong quickly responded to the caregivers’ needs and launched our Virtual Adult Day program to provide services and social activities for individuals who choose to receive care at home.
Mrs. Sook Woon Ho has been a participant at our Adult Day Program for over seven years. Taking part in the program allows Mrs. Ho to meet her friends and enjoy a myriad of activities. Unfortunately, COVID-19 changed everything for her. The Adult Day Program was suspended due to the lockdown. When this happened, Mrs. Ho’s caregiver noticed that Mrs. Ho’s behaviour changed. She became more quiet and slept longer because of the lack of social activity at home.
When we launched our first Virtual Adult Day Program, Mrs. Ho’s family was the first to register. The relief that they felt when Mrs. Ho was able to take part in this virtual gathering was unmeasurable. In the beginning, Mrs. Ho’s caregiver stayed with her so that they could guide her through the virtual landscape and be on hand to help with technical difficulties. After a month, everyone was able to interact smoothly with each other virtually. Mrs. Ho even celebrated her 100th birthday with her adult day program friends virtually!
