Another video surfaced more recently showing a nonresponsive elderly woman who transformed into the prima ballerina she once was upon hearing a few bars of her beloved 'Swan Lake.' Perhaps you recall the viral video a few years back: An elderly Alzheimer's patient in a nursing home starts out slumped over and nonresponsive, then comes to life – breaking into song – as he listens to music through his headphones. “While the community levels are low, we should certainly continue to take advantage of everything our communities offer.” In any case, when infection risk drops, it’s a great idea for seniors to engage in outings, Schabel says. And it’s not just COVID-19 that they keep tabs on – spikes in flu, pneumonia and RSV infections can also affect whether an outing moves forward. Nursing home staff monitor the rate of reported infections locally to help determine whether it’s safe for residents to head out into the community.

'Certainly, you want to look at the community transmission level, which is what the government requires nursing homes to look at in terms of planning their protections for residents.” “We still have to be mindful in those excursions from the nursing home,” he explains. That said, infection control protocols are still important because COVID-19 “is going to remain an issue for the frail elderly for a long, long time,” Schabel says. With the height of the COVID-19 pandemic receding, many facilities have resumed community-based outings and other activities that disappeared when infection rates were much higher.

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