Stuck in Vermont: Family Reunions at Woodridge Rehabilitation and Nursing in Berlin

The coronavirus pandemic has been particularly hard on Vermont’s older residents, many of whom live in nursing homes and found themselves isolated from loved ones. At Woodridge Rehabilitation and Nursing in Berlin, they have been lucky. There have been no COVID-19 cases among the residents, and a year ago they began doing outdoor visits with family and friends.

Eva watched as two families reunited underneath a tent in the yard. Clement “Clem” Boudreau was celebrating his 89th birthday with his wife, Janice, and his daughter Valerie Smith. Their visit was a surprise, and there were many hugs and tears shed. Mary White spent the afternoon with her brothers David and Richard and her sister-in-law Annette.

Later, both Clem and Mary donned colorful hats and attended the Red Hat & Romeo Society Meeting. Woodridge has been holding group activities for the past month. Residents worked on July 4 decorations and sang “Happy Birthday” to Clem.

Music:

• Jeremy Blake, “I’ll Remember You”
• Quincas Moreira, “Marigold”

Filming date: 6/22/21

This episode of Stuck in Vermont was supported by New England Federal Credit Union.

This article appears in The Pollinator Issue.

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