Mary Ellen Gambon
Special to the Journal & Sun
As nursing homes and health care facilities rebound from the ramifications of COVID-19, they are faced with the challenges of a short staff supply and, in some cases, a decrease in public confidence.
The Copley at Stoughton, one of the few privately-owned facilities in the state, faced some major challenges during the height of the pandemic.
“We really just couldn’t do anything for about a year,” said Administrator Steve Tyer, who has worked there for the last 11 years.
The Copley provided staff with meals and bonus incentives, while bringing in local doctors and dentists. But finding enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff and residents was difficult. Tyer, a Stoughton native whose father was a Goddard Hospital obstetrician, previously worked as a chief operating officer for a corporation that owned 23 nursing homes, so he called on a few favors.