Overcoming COVID-19 to Bring Families Together at the VNSNY Goodman Brown Hospice Residence

The VNSNY Shirley Goodman and Himan Brown Hospice Residence on Second Avenue in Manhattan is a rare oasis of calm in the storm of the coronavirus pandemic. As they care for a reduced patient census due to room renovations—the residence now has three residents rather than the usual eight—VNSNY Hospice nurse Cynthia McGill and her Goodman Brown colleagues are fulfilling VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care’s mission to the utmost, increasing quality of life at the end of life.

“It’s much more than custodial care,” says Cynthia. “We can really spend time with patients, getting to know them and building a deeper relationship.”

Besides tending to symptoms and other physical needs, the VNSNY Goodman Brown Hospice staff’s days include sharing patients’ memories of lives fully lived and helping them connect with loved ones. With no visitors allowed because of the coronavirus, this means connecting by FaceTime, which brings great joy to both residents and family members.

“FaceTime makes the presence of loved ones feel more real,” says Cynthia, who notes that even before the pandemic, she would set up virtual visits when family members could not get to the residence in person. “Sometimes I’m tearing up as they speak—both sides are so happy.”

To connect, family members can FaceTime through the nurse, then go on to virtually visit if their loved one is awake and able to chat. Other times, Cynthia plans ahead with family members, letting the resident know in the morning that there will be a call later that day—giving the resident something to look forward to.

One resident’s “face just lights up” when she talks to her son, says Cynthia. Another FaceTimes with grandchildren, she adds, “and that brings her great joy.” Recently, a resident celebrated her birthday FaceTiming many family members—and receiving a real-life delivery of flowers. It was a special moment for everyone. At the end of life, as in other times, says Cynthia, “It’s the little things that people appreciate.”

Such encounters are especially important now, not only due to the anxieties around the COVID-19 pandemic but also because the current Goodman Brown residents have been enrolled in hospice care for a number of months—well beyond the national average. This longer stretch of time provides both the opportunity and the need for more emotional support.

As Cynthia says, “Each smile is a moment we all share in love.”

To read more VNSNY Heroes of 2020 stories, click here.