They’re all residents at New Hope Valley, an assisted living facility just outside Saginaw.
One of them, Margaret Clark, has a mean forehand.
The women are coached by Jamie Capp, who’s got them in a pretty intense game of keep-the-balloon-off-the-floor.
It’s a game they’ve only recently started to play again.
“The focus is on making sure that we bring life for the residents back to almost normalcy, without taking a risk in terms of their wellbeing and safety, right? So that’s a very delicate walk to walk.” Rumi Shahzad, New Hope Valley
As COVID-19 swept through Michigan’s long-term care facilities, thousands of residents died. Capp says those who lived were forced by the pandemic into an isolated existence with little contact with anyone outside of their rooms.
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Margaret Clark, Diane Chisholm and Betty Doyle were residents at New Hope Valley, an assisted living facility just outside Saginaw.
Their game of keep-the-balloon-off-the-floor was overseen by Jamie Capp, who said it was a bit of physical therapy to get upper-body muscles moving and practice hand-eye coordination.
But Clark, Chisholm and Doyle have only recently been able to start playing this game again.