Lady-Links: When Best Laid Plans Go Awry, COVID Style

Our plans were in place…we had 50 Lady-Links, trained, scheduled,  and making visits to our dear friends, those ladies in our retirement community in various stages of cognitive decline, engaging them in activities they enjoyed and could successfully complete.  From craft projects to music, from cards to games, from a book club to Show and Tell sessions, we were enjoying interacting with our dear friends on a weekly basis.

Then March 2020 arrived and our in-person visits came to a halt due to restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.  The Lady-Links immediately came up with a new plan…keeping in touch with our dear friends through sending cards or notes and with phone calls.

When we realized that the restrictions on in-person visits were here to stay for an unknown extended period of time, we revised our plans once again.  We Lady-Links would meet, following the requirements for being outside with no more than eight in attendance, wearing masks and social distancing to create projects we could send to our dear friends.  The first was our Posey Party…making bouquets of flowers from a garden of one of the Lady-Links.

This was so successful that we came up with other ideas…craft projects done outside, even in the Texas heat, because the requirement was that any meetings had to be held outside.  We even brought a tape measure to our events to insure we were maintaining the six-foot distance rule!

We did a cookie project…decorating sacks and filling them with chocolate chip cookies provided by our dining services staff…and sent them to our dear friends and to their husbands.

Finally, the restrictions were lifted regarding the outside requirement for group events, so we were able to move indoors but still had to maintain social distancing with eight or less in attendance wearing masks, and we had to sanitize the room after our use.  It was just in time because the temperature was rising!

Inside, over the next several months, we compiled a joke book, made seasonal craft projects, and even decorated bags to fill with chocolates for “Do Something Nice” day.  All to share with our dear friends to keep their spirits up during this time of social isolation by letting them know they weren’t forgotten.

All projects were accomplished while fulfilling all the COVID requirements, including sanitizing what we used!

We even developed a plan we call “Linking from Home” for Lady-Links who wanted to contribute by making a craft for their dear friends,  but who preferred to stay home rather than come to a group event.

Our last group event of this unusual 2020 year was to make 100 Christmas/Holiday ornaments to send to the residents of our continuing care facility.  We accomplished this by using our Linking from Home Lady-Links and with a group of Lady-Links meeting together, following all the COVID protocols.  It was a joyful project and a perfect way to end our year.

We’ve learned that plans can change, and we’re very capable of making those changes.  What doesn’t change is our commitment to bring love and laughter into the lives of our dear friends.  We’ve had a great year…COVID style regardless!