Image

The beginning of hope for people living in LCDS homes

April 23, 2021

Heather Wright/The Independent

Carly Pembleton Crawford is dreaming of the things she loves to do.

For the 23 year-old who is a client of Lambton County Developmental Services this has been a very long year waiting out COVID-19.

Residents of the local congregate care homes have been staying inside, visiting with family and friends virtually and only leaving with the approval of LCDS staff.

For someone used to getting together with family and friends, heading out shopping or volunteering with Parkway Church in Corunna to deliver meals, staying at home has been difficult for Pembleton Crawford.

“It’s been rough, really hard,” she says from beneath the mask on her face.
Nick Salaris, the executive director of LCDS, agrees.

“It’s been tough. Basically it’s very similar to long term care or group living situations,” he says. “It’s been hard on the people, they’ve been phenomenal. They’ve basically been in their homes for 13 months.”

Through that time, Salaris says not one LCDS client has tested positive for COVID-19 although a handful of their workers have.

Salaris says the success of keeping COVID at bay with the pandemic restrictions has been tempered because it has been tough on the clients and their families.

“They haven’t been able to have that physical contact… we’ve done a lot of great things as far as virtual, but it’s not the same.

“Obviously, there’s mental health concerns with people, you know, and anxiety and all those sorts of things…we’ve done the best we can to provide opportunities for people to do things a bit differently, but it’s not the same as that hug and that family contact.”

Pembleton Crawford has been trying to keep busy to pass the pandemic days away.
“I do knitting. I knit hats. I do scrapbooking. I’m play board games with my roommate Teresa, clean the house… it’s trying to keep myself busy,” she says.

Monday brought something different to do, one of the few times during the last 13 months she’s been able to leave her home. And it was for a very good reason. Pembleton Crawford was one of about 90 LCDS clients who arrived at the organization’s Center Street offices to get the first shot of her COVID-19 vaccine. While you couldn’t see her smile, the excitement was in her eyes.

“It feels amazing,” she said as she waited the required 15 minutes to make sure there were no side effects from getting the shot. “Really awesome.”

And she was thinking about all the things she hopes to be able to do again soon – like giving her roommate a big hug and being with her family.

“I’m going to be meeting with my friends and family and going shopping, going down to the Bluewater Bridge. I’m doing volunteering again…I love doing that.”

When that will happen isn’t clear yet. Like long term care homes, the rules keeping residents confined to their homes haven’t eased up yet.

And Salaris says they’re still waiting to hear from the province when vaccinated people, like Pembleton Crawford, will have more freedom.

And Salaris says there is the added problem that not everyone will get the vaccine and that could limit what LCDS clients can do.

But he’s hopeful the tide is turning and the people they serve will soon have more freedom. Salaris says they need it.

“We’ve seen people just falter, like they’re just not who they were. And we’re hoping that we can get there again, and I’m hoping that it’s not too late.”

Share This

Image
Entertainment

Twenty years of ‘bringing joy’ and a some jingle to merchants

December 6, 2024

Cathy Dobson/The Independent The motor coaches delivering visitors to Victoria Playhouse Petrolia’s annual Starbright Christmas show this week, isn’t just a sign the musical powerhouse is back for its 20th year. It’s adding some jingle to the pockets of the owners of restaurants and local shops part of an annual Christmas economic boom. This year, 30 motor coaches from all

Read More

Image
Front Page

Bears, Bees and Squires, Oh My; Petrolia host Teddy Bear Toss game Friday

December 6, 2024

Barry Wright/The Independent The heated rivalry between the Petrolia Squires and Alvinston Killer Bees will be used to help those less fortunate when the teams meet in Ontario Super Hockey League action this Friday at Greenwood. The Squires and Bees have challenged their respective fans to a teddy bear toss when the teams go head-to-head for the second time this

Read More

Image
Front Page

Flaring from Nova ‘disruption’ seen as far south as Dresden

December 6, 2024

Nova Chemical’s says a disruption in their process at the Corunna facility is responsible for a large flare which lit up the night sky Thursday. The glow and flame from the stack could be seen as far south as Dresden. “We are actively working to return the facility to normal operating conditions as soon as possible,” the company said in

Read More

Image
Front Page

Premier promises to ban public use of drugs, allow police to remove encampments

December 5, 2024

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says there will be new rules to help address homeless encampments. A group of nine mayors recently wrote to the premier suggesting he use the Not Withstanding Clause of the Constitution to allow police to remove the tent cities across the province. The courts have banned the forced removal of the encampments. Lambton County and City

Read More