Although visits are not the same as they used to be – they can’t greet her with a warm hug or watch her play bingo with her friends – they said seeing her light up with her radiating smile makes the visits worth it.
Mona Gassen, known to her family as Maw Maw Mona, has resided in the Luling Living Center for two years. On a normal day, she would receive four or five visitors.
But nothing lately is normal. Now her six children – Bill Gassen, Blake Gassen, Brett Gassen, Rhea Vial, Arlene Oubre and Gwyneth Duhe – their spouses, her seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren are limited to visiting Maw Maw Mona through a window screen.
The Luling Living Center ended normal visitation on March 11 – a dramatic but necessary precaution to keep residents safe in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rhea was the first person who visited that morning, ironically Maw Maw Mona’s 91st birthday, just before everyone else would filter in throughout the day.
“We were originally saddened by the news,” Mona’s granddaughter Brenna Vial said. “We wanted nothing more than to be able to hug and a kiss our grandma for her birthday and it was hard to fathom that we wouldn’t be able to … however, these emotions quickly turned to thankfulness and understanding.”
Brenna said her entire family wants nothing more than to ensure the health and safety of their grandmother and all the residents in the Living Center, and she is thankful there was a large gathering to celebrate Mona’s birthday the weekend before.
“If this means we have to restrict our personal visitation, then we will do whatever it takes and trust that it is all being done in the best interest of her and her fellow residents,” Brenna said.
The entire family agrees the staff at the Luling Living Center has been gracious in helping everyone involved navigate the “new normal” of keeping in touch with each other. That has meant the introduction of new technology, such as FaceTime, and reverting to some old school forms of communication, like sending handwritten letters and talking through the window.
“After realizing we didn’t know how long the lock down situation would last, family members decided to start writing letters and sending photos to our grandmother in an attempt to break the monotony and to ensure that she had something to keep her brain stimulated,” Brenna said.
Blake Gassen purchased his mom a cell phone in hopes she would be able to call her family for some extra company, and the family said the staff has been extremely helpful in teaching her how to work the phone.
Then there are the visits to Maw Maw Mona’s window, which allow her family to interact with her and see her famous smile.
When Mona’s granddaughter Bria Vial got engaged to Zach Schilling this month, the Vial family headed to Mona’s window to share the good news.
“When we walked up to her window, we waited some time for her to get the blinds open and she shared the biggest smile getting to see all of us,” Bria said. “After we talked for a couple of minutes, we revealed a sign that shared the big news … her smile grew even bigger.”
While it was not the way they hoped to deliver the news, Bria said the couple couldn’t wait to tell her.
“It was a day Zach and I will cherish forever and I’m glad we are finding ways to share these milestones and make new memories,” Bria said.
Rhea said she and her siblings have become remarkably close to the staff and residents in the nursing home and miss being able to interact with everyone daily.
“My biggest wish is that we could just go visit … not just visit my mom, but to visit everyone – the staff and residents – that have become like family over the past two years,” Rhea said. “We are looking forward to watching my mom play bingo and laugh with her friends again, bringing her outside for some fresh air and taking her out for holidays and family gatherings.”
In spite of some sadness, Rhea said her entire family is grateful to the staff at the Luling Living Center who are giving Mona the continuous care she needs and who are doing all they can to fill the void while her family can’t physically be there with her.
“Although I’m sure it’s hard for her to fully process, we believe that she understands why we can’t visit, why she can’t leave her room and why she has to wear a mask … we’ve talked to her about it over the phone and the staff continues to reinforce the reasoning to her daily,” Brenna said. “We pray every day that her long days alone get shorter and that we get to see her sooner, but for now we will enjoy the sweet moments we have shared with her and will never take for granted the ones we will be gifted in the future.”
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