Mar 29, 2021 5 min read

Since Robert Tully’s mother, Janine DeVaux, moved from a New Jersey nursing home to The Residence at the Hilltop in Carroll Township on July 28, 2020, he’d only been able to visit through the window or in a designated area because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That changed on Thursday, when the personal care home, an affiliate of Monongahela Valley Hospital, opened its doors for in-room visits.

For Tully and his wife, Beth, who stopped by DeVaux’s window several days every week – often with their dachshund, Daisy, in tow – that meant it was the first time they had gotten to visit inside the personal care home in nearly eight months.

“I had never seen the inside of my mother’s room,” said Robert Tully. “(Thursday) was the very first time I saw it.”

DeVaux, 87, chatted happily with her family and snacked on black licorice Twizzlers.

“I’m very happy to see them,” she said, smiling broadly.

The residents, their families and the staff are delighted to be able to visit in person again.

“There were a lot of happy tears,” said Kim Taliani, director of Residence at the Hilltop, which has about 60 residents. “We are a big family, and without the families being here, we weren’t complete. It was hard on the residents, it was hard on the families, and it was hard on the staff, too, because we had to fill in that void of the families not being here.”

On Thursday, Hilltop permitted one-hour scheduled visits in the morning and evening, with up to two family members.

About 99% of the residents and 85% of staff have been vaccinated.

The Tullys and DeVaux have received their vaccinations – a significant moment for DeVaux, Robert Tully said, because she no longer is required to isolate after returning from outings such as doctor or dentist visits.

The Tullys wore their masks at all times and remained in DeVaux’s room during the visit, as required.

Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities were shut down on March 13, 2020, and most residents haven’t been able to have close contact with family and friends.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which loosened its restrictions for visitation on March 10, acknowledged that long-term care facilities have been hard-hit.

People living in long-term care facilities represent about 1% of the population, but account for 1 in 3 COVID deaths.

In Pennsylvania, more than half of the state’s nearly 25,000 COVID-19 deaths were long-term care residents.

But, the CMS said, the physical separation from family and other loved ones has take a physical and emotional toll on residents on their loved ones.

The Tullys were able to enjoy occasional front porch visits, where they were separated from DeVaux by a Plexiglas barrier.

“She’s a little hard of hearing, and with the mask on and the barrier, it’s hard communicating,” Robert Tully said.

DeVaux’s move to Washington County enabled the Tullys to see her more than they could have if she had stayed in New Jersey during the pandemic.

“She was a little confused at first when we first brought her here because (Hilltop) was in isolation because there were no vaccines or anything, but having us be able to come and see her every day helped a lot,” said Robert Tully. “There wasn’t stress. The stress was when she was in New Jersey.”

The family established a routine: the Tullys drove from their McMurray home, parked near her window and called DeVaux, and she took her phone to the window, where they talked and saw each other.

“But this is the big leap,” said Robert Tully.

DeVaux was a reservist in the U.S. Navy after she graduated from high school, and then worked as an executive secretary for an international power company in New York City before becoming a stay-at-home mother.

She enjoyed traveling internationally, and is an avid reader and enjoys movies. Also, DeVaux is fond of Sarris dark chocolate pretzels.

Taliani said reopening Hilltop “is a relief.”

“When we closed our doors last year, it was such a sad day,” said Taliani. “Our residents don’t live in our workplace, we work in their homes. This is their home, and today is a happy day for all of us.”

In Fayette County, LaFayette Manor is preparing to open for visitors by March 30, following a recent COVID-related shut down.

“Everybody’s preparing. They’re getting their hair done, they’re getting spruced up like it’s a parade,” said Linda Stumpf, administrator at LaFayette, which currently has 64 residents.

Stumpf said residents are anticipating being able to hug and hold the hands of vaccinated family and friends.

About 94% of the residents at LaFayette have been vaccinated.

The visits, Stumpf said, “help the mood and the morale so much, even for our staff, who have been doing a lot with residents.

“When we see they’re happy, we’re happy, and it lifts the morale,” she said.

Throughout the pandemic, LaFayette has implemented ways for residents to see family and friends, including FaceTime and window visits.

“But there’s nothing like being in-person,” said Stumpf. “They’ve been waiting for this.”