By Beth David, Editor
Armand Patnaude’s family knows that he’s aching to see them and touch them. They know they miss him dearly. The 69-year-old hospice patient is stuck inside at Our Lady’s Haven in Fairhaven. His 70th birthday party, originally scheduled for 4/28, had to be canceled, and it has been pretty hard on him to be isolated.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, no one is allowed to visit him, although his daughter works at OLH, so she sees him regularly. Family members call and send notes, but, that’s not the same as being in the same room.
Family members of Armand Patnaude, 69, a resident of Our Lady’s Haven Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Fairhaven, including daughter Jamie Patnaude, grandson Julian Barboza, brother Rene Patnaude, sister Yvette Patnaude Randall and a few other family members, had to make alternate plans to bring some love and joy to Armand on 3/28/20 as residents cannot receive visitors due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Photo courtesy of James Mahaney.
So, on Saturday, a group of Mr. Patnaude’s best supporters made signs and showed their love with a sidewalk visit. He was able to see them out the window and wave.
“It’s been so hard on the family,” said Mr. Patnaude’s sister, Yvette Patnaude Randall. “I can’t imagine all the other families not being able to visit.”
She said other residents of OLH also saw them and waved to them.
“Their little hands were all coming out and thanking us and waving at us,” she said. “It was cute. We raised a lot of spirits, and made a lot of people very happy.”
She said it is especially hard on her brother because he is so young compared to the other residents, most of whom also have dementia. So he is lonely.
“It’s been hard for us, it’s been hard for him,” she said.
Mr. Patnaude is on hospice, so he knows his days are numbered. But everyone is hoping he will
Armand Patnaude, 69, resident of Our Lady’s Haven Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Fairhaven, peeks out his second-floor window to see a special sidewalk visit from his daughter Jamie Patnaude, grandson Julian Barboza, brother Rene Patnaude, sister Yvette Patnaude Randall and a few other family members, as residents are no longer allowed visitors due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Photo courtesy of James Mahaney
make it to his 70th birthday, and that, when the time comes, family members will be allowed to be with him.
For now, though, “He’s holding his own,” said Ms. Randall.
Even though the party they envisioned had to get canceled, she hopes they can have a sidewalk/lawn party on 4/28 to celebrate with him. Meanwhile, family members will send messages, cards, notes and letters, and will call him, too.
“I think that would boost his spirits,” she said. “Getting things in the mail.”
She also plans to have more sidewalk visits because, she said: “It was just perfect. I left there with my heart feeling full.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Customarily, we would have called OLH to talk to Mr. Patnaude directly, but we decided it would be more fun to let him be surprised by the pictures in the Neighb News.
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