Senior Care Home Creates ‘Hug Tunnel’ So Residents Can Embrace Their Loved Ones

• The Três Figueiras home located in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil saw how sad their senior residents have become when they got no visitors during Mother’s Day.
• That is why they thought of a creative way to allow visitors see and hug their loved ones without exposing them to risks.
• With that, they created the ‘hug tunnel’ made of plastic arm holes.

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One of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are the elderly people. Since they are considered high-risk, they are advised to strictly follow the quarantine and social distancing orders to prevent themselves.

Most especially those who are living in care facilities, these precautionary measures are preventing their families from seeing them in person.

That’s why a care facility in Brazil thought of a creative way to allow the seniors to be with their loved ones while keeping them safe at the same time.

The Três Figueiras home located in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, homes  28 seniors at the moment. When Mother’s Day came, the staff saw how the residents’ spirits were so low after being unable to receive not a single visitor during the special day.

“We noticed that our senior residents were feeling sad,” administrator of the facility, Rubia Santos, told CNN. “We thought they would be much happier if we found a way for them to hug their relatives.”

So they end up inventing the ‘hug tunnel.’

The ‘hug tunnel’ is a wall of plastic sheets with plastic pockets that visitors can insert their arms to hug their loved ones on the other side. The arm holes are situated in three different heights so that kids and other visitors or residents in wheelchairs can still hug their loved ones. 

This way, they get a chance to feel the warmth of the people they love without risking themselves to the deadly virus. Also, the staff always disinfects the hug tunnel before and after visits. 

The idea sparked from a woman hugging her mother with a curtain between them in a viral video. 

“If anyone out there runs a senior living home or facility, I recommend you do this,” Rubia said. “It is so gratifying to see them hugging each other and so important.”

Source: Good News Network