Put Your Fears To Rest
It’s only natural at this Halloween time of year, we think of the things we’re afraid of. Over the last year and a half, we’ve had plenty to be afraid of. We’re afraid that we’ll get COVID, we’re afraid of the vaccine, we’re afraid of being around other people and we’re afraid because we just don’t know what’s coming next. Let’s put some of this fear into perspective.
The truth is that there’s always been sickness and disease that could’ve stoked fear within us. We’ve always had medicine that we don’t truly understand the science and side effects of. There’s always been a risk of catching something from someone else. And, we’ve never known what’s coming next.
This is not to say that our fears over the last year and a half aren’t understandable. What we’ve gone through with COVID is unprecedented. But, the point I’m making is that there’s always something to fear if we look hard enough, but we can’t let it paralyze us. Even prior to COVID, people have had fears about making the move to a retirement community like John Knox Village East. They’ve had fears about the physical task of making the move, fears surrounding change, fears about whether they’ll fit in with their neighbors, fears about finances, fears about what to do with their stuff they no longer need and much more. COVID is just another item on this list. But I would contend that for those folks who have made the move to John Knox Village East, they have much less to fear and much more to have peace of mind about.
During COVID, residents at John Knox Village East have experienced a much lower infection rate than the community at large. Some people look at it on the surface and have fears about living amongst a community. They think their risk of infection is greater, but I have known people who isolated to their homes during this time and still became infected because they have home health workers come in that weren’t screened. At John Knox Village East & Meyer Care Center visitors and residents are screened upon entry to mitigate the spreading of disease.
Folks living at John Knox Village East & Meyer Care Center have much less isolation. We’ve continued to play cards, meet for meals, have outside celebrations when possible. Screen visitors are welcome. That way, we can make sure folks are able to interact with each other and their loved ones in a safe environment.
Folks living here also don’t have to worry about what to do should they become sick (whether it be with COVID or something else). Many times folks in their own house will struggle with symptoms for a few days debating on what to do. With our professional healthcare staff, we can detect symptoms at the onset and make appropriate recommendations on what to do; thereby, reducing the worry of when to act.
Overall, while folks still have fears about our current circumstance, I think they have much more peace of mind living at John Knox Village East than they do elsewhere. They know they’re not in this alone and we have the support system to keep them healthy in body and mind.
