St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion is one of the largest long-term care and rehabilitation organizations in Maine and it is the flagship of eldercare services offered through St. Mary’s Health System. Throughout this pandemic, nationwide, there has been a trend of elder care residences being the hardest hit. Thankfully, our numbers at St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion were low. This was no accident: Our staff worked hard every day to keep our residents as safe as possible. It took lots of PPE, regular testing, coordinating window visits with family members, constant cleaning, and socially distanced activities
to keep everyone safe, while also keeping spirits high and maintaining a joyful atmosphere for our residents.
Spirits were raised even further as vaccines became available for staff in December. In just a week, we were able to vaccinate all staff who were eligible and wanted to receive the vaccine. At the front-lines of the pandemic, our staff are truly leaders in our community and when asked why getting the vaccine was important to them, these were the answers they gave:
“ I got vaccinated for my residents! This is
the first step toward reuniting residents
with their families.”
“ I got vaccinated because it’s my civic
responsibility.
“ I got vaccinated for my family, my
patients, our residents, and to end
this craziness!”
“I got vaccinated for the safety of my
patients, family and myself.”
“ I got vaccinated for my community and
my patients, but mostly for my wife
and my son.”
“ I got vaccinated in memory of all who
have died.”
“ I got vaccinated so we can start living
our lives again.”
“ I got vaccinated because I believe in
science, and I want to see a safe
environment for everyone.”
“I got vaccinated for my mom who has
late-stage COPD and is in a hospice
facility. I will hug you soon, Mom.”
“I got vaccinated to set a good example
for my children.”
Our hardworking staff have devoted so much of their lives this year to keeping our residents safe. They chose to receive the vaccine not only for our residents but also for themselves — so they can live their lives again and feel safe around their families. They are at the frontline for our community, and we are grateful for their resilience, dedication and sacrifice this past year.
