April 29, 2021

Family Compassion at New Paltz Center

Compassionate Care is granted to a family dealing with a loved one’s depression from dementia. As New Paltz Center on Jansen Road in New Paltz, New York, is opened partially to family visits due to one non-COVID wing being opened to visitors, the other remains closed until at least May 4, 2021. In that wing is 58 year-old resident Tami Reynolds who is sadly dealing with dementia where, at this point in time, her state of mind regarding a sense of time, hardly exists. This doesn’t stop her loving daughter Reynianne Martinez and her sister Bethanne DelGuadio who visits Tami every chance they get, even as most recently as this photo was taken on April 27, 2021 when New Paltz Center granted Reynianne and Bethanne visiting privileges under Compassionate Care.

Compassionate Care visits are special visits in which a family member or other visitor provides comfort, support, and/or assistance to a resident whose well-being is suffering or at risk, or even who may be dying. These are not End of Life visits by definition, and in Tami’s case, New Paltz Center strongly feels that her quality of life relies on these visits from her daughter and sister. When left alone, Tami often cries out and falls into a depression. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed guidance that provides some examples of situations when compassionate care visits should be permitted and Tami’s dementia which leads to depression is one of them. A resident who needs cueing and encouragement with eating or drinking, previously provided by family and/or caregiver(s), can experience weight loss or dehydration. With Reynianne and Bethanne, you don’t know of a loving family until you met them. Last fall, they visited Tami during a brief opening to visitors last fall, they came. Then a few times more recently this month when restrictions were eased even more by New York State. Every day, they look to visit Tami because they know that not seeing her becomes a two-fold scenario; they feel that not visiting her can shorten her longevity and for them, they love her and that’s what counts. In the photo is New Paltz Center resident Tami Reynolds with her sister Bethanne DelGuadio on the left and Tami’s daughter Reynianne Martinez on right, both women in full PPE.

 

As seen on Poughkeepsie Journal.

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