Photos: Supporting nursing homes & adult foster care homes in Michigan

Connie Flanigan, Director of Nursing, in front of Advantage Living Center in Wayne, Michigan. "The pandemic came on really fast. We had to go out and hunt our own supplies down. There wasn’t a lot of information out there. We were terrified, but we had 100 souls counting on us.”

United States 2020 © Ali Lapetina/MSF

More than 40 percent of all coronavirus deaths in the US have been in nursing homes. MSF provided in-person training on infection prevention and control and carried out wellness workshops and webinars for nursing home staff in Michigan to cope with the stress of the pandemic.

United States 2020 © Ali Lapetina/MSF

Essential staff in long-term care facilities–including nurses, cleaners, cooks and beyond– work in close proximity to residents to care for their most basic and intimate needs, so they play a critical role in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. In-person support and training are fundamental to help staff protect themselves and their residents.

United States 2020 © Ali Lapetina/MSF

Medical staff adjust their personal protective equipment during a traning session at a nursing home in Michigan

United States 2020 © Ali Lapetina/MSF

Helping teams cope was a priority for MSF. They face anxiety and grief daily, having lost coworkers and residents to COVID-19. Valerie Jones, housekeeping supervisor, recently joined Advantage Roseville. "The facility I’m from lost a lot of patients. When I came here…it triggered me a little bit because I used to go to my other place where I worked and I would visit them. And I was told all the [residents] I visited had passed from COVID. It hit me hard."

United States 2020 © Ali Lapetina/MSF

In Michigan, Ebony Lucas, trained social worker, ran staff wellness workshops, engaging in active listening using a trauma-informed approach. Ebony shared stress-reduction tools, activities to boost the morale of residents, and used posters like this one–which reads “I do my best because I’m counting on you counting on me”–to build staff resource boards.

United States 2020 © Ali Lapetina/MSF

The Advantage Wayne team on “nerd day”. Nursing home staff work hard to uplift residents, as usual family visits are hindered by the pandemic. They plan activities like door-to-door karaoke and themed outfit days to make residents smile. “When you can't be here to be their family, we are,” says Connie, Director of Nursing.

United States 2020 © Ali Lapetina/MSF