Emotional preschoolers were allowed to visit old friends in a nursing home for the first time in a year.
The excited tots and elderly residents blew kisses at each other and stretched out arms for virtual hugs through the windows of Ratoath Manor Nursing Home in Co Meath on Friday.
Eilish Balfe of Happy Days Montessori School said the visit had been “hugely emotional for everyone, but finally showed a flash of hope that things were slowly but surely returning to normal”.
Before Covid-19 hit, the kids visited the nursing home on ‘Pensioner Play Dates’ each week to play games and hear stories and songs from 10 of the residents, some of whom were in the early stages of dementia.
In the last year, the pre-schoolers tried to keep their dates going virtually through videos and letters.
And one gift of chocolate from the nursing home to the children saying how much they were missed left Eilish in tears.
Last Friday, the home agreed to allow 10 of the children into the grounds of the residence, where all those eligible had received the vaccine.
“We had told the kids that we were going on an Easter egg hunt last Friday but when we entered the gardens of the nursing home, their faces just lit up,” said Eilish.
“The residents were at a big window and I told the children to stay well back but once they saw them, they just ran straight to the window
“They were shouting there is John and there is Albert and Kitty and waving and blowing kisses into them. It was so emotional.
“You know what it is like when you don’t see a friend for a long time and then just pick up where you left off - it was like that. The children never forgot them in all that time.
“The residents too were so delighted. They were waving and blowing kisses back and you could tell the visit meant so much to them
“I have to say last week, things got to me a bit in terms of what is happening and all the restrictions but this was just a flash of hope in a bad week.
“A flash of hope that showed that very slowly but very surely things are getting back to normal.”
