An Assisted Living Social Worker's New Normal: "With Changes We Will Evolve"

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Visiting through window

by Melissa Kupferberg, MS, MSW, CDP

     Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to be a social worker for senior citizens. I work at an assisted living facility and I, along with healthcare workers across the nation, have abruptly been faced with a challenge that none of us ever thought we would experience. 

     So many times, I get questioned: What is an assisted living facility? Is it a place where older people are left to live the remainder of their years? Is it a place where people who may have no family go to die? The widespread misconceptions and questioning never cease to astonish me. Never once, in my career as a long-term care professional, have I ever thought of these things. Pragmatic reasons aside as to what an assisted living facility is and what it offers, I can tell you what working in this industry has brought to my life. It is a workplace that exudes a vibrant living, loving, and learning environment. An assisted living facility is a home that strives to retain the residents' dignity and promotes their independence through their later years of life. 

     My daily conversations with our residents have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We would normally discuss the difficulties in transitioning to this new environment of assisted living, their difficulties in giving up their homes and independence, and following a new routine and structure. We would discuss the things they miss, including driving a car or cooking their own meals. Today, we discuss their fears and worries about catching this virus. We discuss friends who were taken too soon by this virus, and we talk about their own fears of death.

     A month ago, I would engage with our residents face to face, wearing normal casual business attire, hugging them, and assisting them as if they were my own family. Now, as I write this today, I must wear the proper protective equipment for each friendly visit. This equipment is required for every visit and allows me to utilize FaceTime or a window visit, so our residents, at a time when they feel so isolated, can enjoy a visit or speak to their loved ones. 

     My new normal includes picking out clothing for a funeral or collecting personal items for a resident we have lost, because their loved ones are not allowed in the building as a result of this virus. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, I am proud to help our residents communicate with their loved ones daily, including those who are facing their last days on earth.

     During this pandemic, things have been confusing. There has been fear, and things are changing constantly. As an advocate for not just the older population but an advocate of long-term care and all of the good it provides those most vulnerable, I can tell you this. We will struggle with the changes, but with those changes we will evolve. Residents are now so quickly discharged from a hospital and evaluated for hospice within the facility to be provided a dignified, comfortable place to pass. We have gone from encouraging socialization and group activity participation to now trying to ensure the same stimulation while residents are separated in their apartments. We also continue to be cognizant of what isolation will do to an already lonely senior.

     As we learn to adapt to this new normal, I continue to do my best to provide the same quality of life as before this pandemic and to retain the residents' dignity and promote their independence in a vibrant living environment. My mission will always remain driven by my passion that I never want any resident to feel alone. I feel lucky to work in a community that has come together during an unimaginable and unprepared pandemic. And I look forward to the day when we can reconnect our residents with their loved ones in person.

Melissa Kupferberg

Melissa Kupferberg

Melissa Kupferberg holds a master's degree in gerontology (MS) and a master's in social work (MSW). She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) and certified in Validation Therapy. She has worked with the geriatric population for more than 15 years.