GIFT OF HOLIDAY SPIRIT–The family of Genevieve Hall recently installed a holiday light display at Red Bud Regional Care so that the residents could see it from their bedroom windows. Pictured is part of the display.
In 2017 when the time came for Genevieve Hall, a resident at Red Bud Regional Care, to move to a nursing facility closer to her family in Michigan, Genevieve’s son Pete Hall contacted two therapists in hopes of getting assistance. Heather Schilling, physical therapy assistant, and Melissa Lindsey, occupational therapist, were part of Genevieve’s care while she was living at Red Bud Regional Care. They too wanted to ensure that her trip went smoothly and quickly agreed to be her travel companions.
The therapists spent weeks preparing. They helped pack her bags, learned about her medicines and coordinated a plan for the day of travel. When the day came, they transported her to the airport, helped her navigate the terminals, transferred her onto the plane, managed an extended layover and finally arrived at their destination nine hours later.
Schilling and Lindsey helped Genevieve get settled into her new home. It was during that time that Genevieve, her family and the therapists began to feel that that new facility could not provide Genevieve with the care she needed. At that moment, Genevieve’s family asked if she could return with the therapists to Red Bud Regional Care. Without hesitation, the three traveled back to Illinois, and Genevieve resumed her care at Red Bud Regional Care.
For more on this story, please see this week’s print edition.