'Don't worry about me - I'm playing bingo': Care home residents share heartwarming messages for concerned families

The Kentucky assisted living facility has more than 1,500 residents, and has been using social media to keep them connected to their families.

A resident at Masonic Homes Kentucky sends her love to her family during the coronavirus. (Masonic Homes Kentucky)

When the governor of Kentucky ordered nursing home and assisted living facilities to stop allowing visitors in response to the coronavirus pandemic, an assisted living facility in the state took to social media to share images of its residents enjoying their lives - at safe, social distancing distances - to help keep family members in contact with their loved ones inside the facility.

Residents at the Masonic Homes Kentucky in Shelbyville, Kentucky posed for photos doing a variety of activities with messages meant to let their loved ones know they were doing alright during the lockdown.

In one photo, residents of the assisted living facility can be seen lining a long hallway sitting at rolling desks with bingo cards. The bingo players are spread out through the hall to accommodate social distancing guidelines.

“Residents at Masonic Home Shelbyville are having fun while practising social distancing. Not only are they upstanding citizens, they are outstanding Bingo players, too,” a caption on the assisted living’s Facebook post read.

In one photo, a woman is holding up her bingo card next to a large whiteboard with the message “don’t worry about me, I’m playing bingo” written on it. The message is signed with a drawn heart and the word “mom.”

Another photo shows a man and a woman, both on their phones in separate rooms.

Read more

“Here is your daily dose of positivity. Even though Dan and Charlene (who have been married for decades) can’t be together in person right now, they still talk on the phone with each other every day,” another Facebook post read.

Residents are even still going outside for fresh air and exercise. One photo shows a pair of residents outside on a walk.

The Masonic Homes Kentucky has been active in using its social media presence to keep the public updated on not only the activities of the residents, but its needs throughout the pandemic.

Last week, the page shared a photo of boxes of canned goods and toiletries dropped off at the facility by a family member of a resident. The supplies were meant for other residents who didn’t have the mobility to shop for themselves.

In addition to the social media posts, the facility’s staff has helped family and residents arrange “virtual visits” - video chats, primarily - to help keep families connected.