As his band played Hank William Sr.’s “Jambalaya” at Bear Grass Suites Assisted Living in Boulder on Aug. 31, John Powell looked out at the audience. Bob Laumeyer, his former Jefferson High School principal and superintendent, was seated in the front, grinning ear to ear. It was Bob’s 90th birthday, and Laumeyers from all over the U.S. had come to celebrate.
As milestone celebrations go, this was pretty much what you’d expect: Family and friends, music, lunch and cake on a fine summer afternoon. A banner hung near the canopy, commemorating Laumeyer, featuring a recent picture of him gardening and a black-and-white illustrated photo of him from his days as a school administrator. The focus, however, was on the musicians, who had people singing along, and a few residents in the back even started to dance.
It was ordinary – and on this day, among this group of elderly Montanans, ordinary made all the difference.
It’s been two and a half years since COVID-19 upended our world and our community. For many of us, the pandemic has brought hardship, stress, and loss. It’s altered us, and it’s taught us what not to take for granted.
There are few who experienced the dispiriting isolation involved with the pandemic as much as those who live in community-based settings such as Bear Grass.
“COVID has been really hard,” said Amanda Lagerquist, who manages Bear Grass for her mother, owner Lori Lagerquist. There were the masks, for one thing. “Residents struggled with not being able to see reactions and not being able to see smiles,” said Lori. It’s so important to have that connection. You don’t know who you’re talking to half the time when the masks are on.”
For over a year, only immediate family could visit – and, for the first month of the pandemic not even family could visit. After that, Bear Grass was more flexible than some senior homes – but even so, residents were limited to four visitors at a time.
That only heightened the loneliness experienced by many. Community-based settings like Bear Grass had to take special precautions to protect the health of its vulnerable residents. “It’s a difficult balance,” added Amanda. “It’s been hard on the residents to not have as many visitors. It’s been hard on their mental health.”
So, a birthday party – with family and friends, music, lunch and cake on a fine summer afternoon – that was something special. And it felt good.
***
In 2022, with COVID protocols shifting and more visitors welcome at Bear Grass, Powell and his group started playing twice a month, but usually not to so large a crowd, as it had been some time since such a large family gathering had occurred on the premises. This was different, and different felt good.
“This is definitely the most people we’ve had here since before COVID, and it was a lot of fun for the residents,” said Lori.
However, in January of 2022, most residents and staff came down with a mild case of the coronavirus. Although those infected fared well, the experience was one Amanda said she’d never want to repeat.
“Residents had to stay in their rooms for about a month and a half,” she said. “There was always somebody positive, it seemed. This was the hardest thing we’ve experienced.”
Lori and Amanda Lagerquist have shared the difficult task of protecting the residents while also not isolating them, leading to loneliness. Some COVID protocols – particularly masking – made this mission hard to achieve.
“There was a level of depression guests experienced during COVID, and it started to lift when masks weren’t required,” Lori said.
That’s one reason Amanda said she’s grateful Powell and his group come out to Bear Grass regularly.
“It’s fun for the residents to see them, and for good reason,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of visitors. They talk about it for days. It’s literally a highlight of their week.”
Powell said the performances are a highlight for him too, which is why he does it strictly as a volunteer.
“I don’t know who gets more enjoyment: the people playing or the people listening,” Powell said. “It’s a great feeling to see how much joy and enthusiasm the music brings to the residents.”
The joy, Powell said, goes beyond the music, as he said it’s a testament to the atmosphere Bear Grass provides.
“It’s more like a family than an assisted living,” he said, a sentiment that was echoed by Bob’s family.
“It’s really wonderful to see Bob receive this kind of care and this kind of attention,” said Bob’s son-in-law Robert Runkel. “I can only hope I’m this lucky.”
It’s this level of attention and care that Bear Grass strives for, Lori said, be it a birthday or any day.
“We do everything we can to meet and exceed our residents’ personalized needs,” Lori said.
“We specialize in intimate care,” added Amanda.
But when guests are limited and smiles are covered, intimacy is not easy to provide.
“I found this the case particularly with masking,” Amanda said. “When everything is muffled – and half the residents have a hard time hearing to begin with – a connection is lost. Honestly, it’s been pretty devastating. Some residents have really struggled.”
This summer, when Bear Grass lowered mask restrictions, there was an immediate shift for both residents and staff, Amanda said. Attitudes continue to improve as more and more social engagements occur.
“Two ladies come up every week to play bunko – a dice game –with the residents,” said Lori. “We also do an exercise routine three times a week. We also try to get the residents out. Just last week we utilized Whitehall Public Transportation and had a garden party at Mary Ann Carey’s place.”
Although the pandemic has been difficult to navigate, Bear Grass has been fortunate, as the coronavirus has not impacted visitation as it has for larger assisted living facilities.
***
Managing a community-based setting during a public health crisis is hard enough, but Lori said the biggest obstacle for Bear Grass is staffing.
“Right now we have two full-time employees and four or five part-time,” she said. “Ideally we need fill-ins when people are sick. It seems we have one or two shifts a week we’re trying to cover.”
This being the case, Amanda said Bear Grass can only host seven to eight residents at a time. There’s currently a waiting list, one Amanda expects to get larger, as some of the other assisted living facilities in the area are also struggling.
“Employment has been terrible across the board,” she said. “There’s a major shortage.”
Nevertheless, the care continues, and Lori said Bear Grass staff do what they can to ensure their residents have the best care possible while aging in place. That’s why they have people like Powell come and perform, to lift spirits and keep the residents engaged and entertained. As Powell can attest, there are healing properties in such interaction. He’s seen time and time again, most notably with his mother-in-law, who spent her last days as a resident of Bear Grass.
“My mother-in-law has always loved music,” he said. “She’d usually sing along, but toward the end of her life she really wasn’t there. She’d just be asleep basically. The last time my mother-in-law was able to listen to our music she was out of it. Her head was down, but when we played ‘Jambalaya’ she stood up and sang along. It really gave us all an idea of what music does for people. There’s a connection there.”
That connection was felt on Aug. 31, as Bob sang along, smiling, celebrating both a birthday and a new beginning, as once again he was around smiling faces, those of his family and friends.
“I don’t think any place ever really takes the place of home, but this comes as close to it as any place I’ve found,” he said.
