The doors to Shepparton Villages may be closed to the community, but that is not stopping residents from sending messages of love and reassurance to their families.
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Photos posted on the aged care facility's Facebook page of residents with the messages have received a flood of support from friends, family and the wider community.
“We've also noticed strangers commenting from all over saying things like, ‘I don't know you but I hope you are safe and well’," Shepparton Villages executive manager of community engagement Jo Breen said.
“Other family members are saying they hope to see their relative on there soon — so it's really heartwarming.”
The aged care facility is working with families to ensure communication with residents continues, whether through technology or good old-fashioned letters.
“We're doing everything we can. We've asked if families want to supply an iPad with a sim card for their loved ones so they can talk via Zoom, Skype or FaceTime,” Ms Breen said.
“While this technology is available, a lot of residents are not comfortable with using it yet, so we need to work with them on that.
“We put the safety and care of our residents first, but social interaction is also very important.”
Many community members have contacted the facility offering support, but the best help at this time is monetary donations for iPads.
“We don't need bulk donations of technology from the community, as we'd need to tag and test everything,” she said.
“People are asking what they can do to help, which is just amazing, but obviously it has to be ‘help’ from outside and has to be easy enough for us to manage with limited resources on the inside.
“We don’t have help from volunteers as we have had to close that program for now, but our lifestyle and care staff are continuing to be absolute champs.”
As for the residents themselves — well, they are resilient as ever.
“Many have said they've been through it before with wars and the Depression,” Ms Breen said.
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