KVHD residents visit Paradise Cove for a long-awaited outing.

By Debby Golden

Jun 15, 2022

The Activity Department of the Kern Valley Healthcare District (KVHD) took 10 of their residents on their first outing last month in two years since COVID-19 began.

Many of these residents were the most at risk and were in and out of lockdown the majority of that time. This was a very challenging time for their residents, their family members and the staff.

At times residents had to stay in their rooms and were given in-room activities to keep them busy. When allowed to come out of seclusion, the residents had to wear masks and stay six feet apart. The dayroom was closed many times when there was an outbreak or when they had to take extreme precautions. This was very hard on the residents and especially those with dementia that did not understand the new routine.

For a very long time, they were not allowed visitors and were only able to see them through their bedroom window or speak to them by phone. The activity department then set up a schedule for FaceTime calls to their family members and friends seven days per week, three times per day to accommodate them. Now that they are back to having visitors, they still provide these calls every day for people who do not get regular visits. This has been a huge success with families and residents.

Now that some of the limitations have been lifted, the Skilled Nursing Staff are able to start taking the residents on outings again around the valley. As a special treat, they took them to Paradise Cove for dinner last month. The residents were excited to not only leave the facility but to feel normal again – eating out in public, enjoying a fancy meal.

KVHD’s Activity Department would also like to mention how wonderful and accommodating Paradise Cove was to them. The restaurant was ready for them at 5 p.m. and even made a special menu for the residents in their price range.

KVHD’s Activity Department is currently planning a barbecue on June 15 at noon at Rivernook Campground in their meadow for residents that were unable to go to the dinner. 

“We want Kern Valley to know that we are doing everything possible to give our residents the quality of life they deserve both inside and outside of our facility. We strive to not only take care of their medical needs but to cater to their physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs as well,” Laura Springer, activity supervisor with KVHD, said.