The Marbridge Foundation operates a campus of three residential care facilities. As a 24-hour care provider, the foundation is one of only three in the country that offers their level of care to individuals with disabilities, according to Vice President of Development Becca McPherson. Each facility offers different levels of support to adults ages 18-90, from semi-independent living to assisted living and full-time nursing care.
“It is crucial we stay open,” McPherson said. “We have residents who have been with us from 30-60 years, and we serve quite a bit of residents who have outlived their family resources. Our nursing home residents can't be cared for in many other facilities.”
Adjusting operations amid COVID-19
To help protect residents and staff from the coronavirus, the Marbridge campus is currently open only to residents and the essential staff who directly care for them each day. McPherson said safety protocols were put in place in early March before the coronavirus pandemic reached Austin. As a result, the community has not seen any positive cases among its residents, who are considered part of a vulnerable and at-risk demographic.
Operational changes have in part been created and put into action by Medical Director Liam Fry, leader of the Austin Public Health Taskforce for Nursing Homes; and Director of Nursing Wendy Worden, who is serving on the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Nursing Facility Task Force during the pandemic.
Staff who are not part of direct resident care have been working from home, while volunteers have continued to support Marbridge from afar. Those staff who continue to be on the front lines and interacting with residents get their temperatures taken each day, and have worn medical masks at all times.
“Our staff at the nursing home doesn't normally wear a face mask all day long. It's not just something you do,” said Duncan Murray, the administrator for The Villa, Marbridge’s nursing facility. “While most people in Austin are doing that for the 20 minutes they're out running errands and are frustrated with it, our staff is wearing those things for eight or nine hours a day. And our residents here—they don't necessarily understand why.”
While protecting residents' health is a top concern for the community, Murray said what he feared the most heading into the pandemic was a drop in morale among the residents.
“One of the hardest things here is that with our resident population, we have to explain why they can't see their parents, who used to come visit them three or four times a week or who used to take them home on weekends,” he said. “That's been heartbreaking. You can't explain that to a younger person with an intellectual disability.”
Although visitation is temporarily being restricted, the foundation has set up a big-screen television that is only being used for video calls to family and loved ones, which Murray said has made a big difference for residents.
“We have some residents who really need that connection a few times a week,” he said, "and we have some residents that—maybe it doesn't mean a lot to the resident, but it means the world for their parents. Even if those residents just react by smiling to mom and dad's voice, I can only imagine how important it is to their parents to be able to see that they're still doing okay.”
Other operational changes include practicing social distancing during common group activities, such as lunch, Murray said. Activities are split into smaller groups but still allow for residents to speak to and interact with one another at a healthy distance.
Residents are also being kept on campus and are not allowed to leave until the threat of the pandemic disappears. Residents who have off-campus employment have not been able to work; however, scheduled group outings, such as ice cream socials, are being held on campus.
Murray said the familiarity residents have with each other and the everyday staff have helped make the transition as easy as possible.
"Our staff here is big on giving hugs to residents and giving high-fives, and we just can't do that anymore,” he said. “It's been hard to explain, but I’ve been generally impressed with how well the residents have done with the changes.”
Ongoing needs
At The Villa, 10% of the operation is privately funded, with most of the other costs to operate and care for residents being paid through Medicaid. Marbridge's other communities however are funded mostly by the families of resident, as well as donations and grants. Murray said that financially, the coming months could be difficult for the nonprofit as they continue to offer support to residents.
“We're fortunate to have an incredibly supportive family base here and a volunteer base that is so involved,” he said. “Getting that kind of support—that's what keeps you going.”
McPherson said the foundation has an extensive wish list online of supplies and essential needs, such as soap, disinfecting supplies, feminine care products and adult briefs. The community has also been accepting food donations to set up a food pantry for staff, which allows staff to stay safe and not travel for errands or risk exposure to COVID-19. Monetary donations can be placed here.
She also said the community currently has 70 pen pals that send written communications to residents and employees to support them. To send a letter of support to residents or staff, individuals can mail letters to P.O. Box 2250, Manchaca, TX 78652, or send an email to McPherson at [email protected].
“I think words of encouragement to residents or staff go farther than anything else,” McPherson said. “Our residents—so many of them have been isolated for years, and this puts them in a scary spot. For them to receive letters would go a long way.”
Marbridge Foundation
2310 Bliss Spillar Road, Manchaca
512-282-1144
www.marbridge.org
