FISHERS — For the first time in a year, Jackie Parker is able to hug her twin sister Janet Kennedy.
“It was wonderful to be able to see her and know that she is okay,” Parker said.
In-person visits resumed last Wednesday at Allisonville Meadows in Fishers where Kennedy is a resident. Following guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, fully vaccinated residents and visitors are now allowed to hug loved ones for the first time in a year.
“I’m glad to see them because when they couldn’t see me for a while, I get kind of down. Nobody could come in,” Kennedy said.
At 82-years-old, Parker said Kennedy is her only sibling still living. Their brother used to come visit Kennedy, but he passed away.
“So, the responsibility lays on my shoulders now," Parker said. “So, it’s just a good feeling to know she’s my sister. I still have family.”
Allisonville Meadows requires visitors to wear a mask that covers their nose and wash their hands before and after their visit.
“This pandemic has been so difficult collectively for everyone but for our residents, it has been difficult physically but also emotionally,” Janean Kinzie, director wellness & enrichment said. “I love not only that residents are getting to visit with their loved ones but now were able to have that physical connection and hug.”
