Families affected by senior facility lockdowns communicate through windows, over the phone

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The coronavirus pandemic has some families of loved ones in senior care frustrated following visitor restrictions.

CBS 58 spoke with the president of Village at Manor Park, who explains the restrictions taking place -- many of which are taking place at senior facilities throughout the area.

These are recommendations being made by the Department of Human Services.

DHS has told all senior facilities to restrict visitors or limit the entry of non-essential personnel. 

All employees are now being screened and asked a series of questions like where they've been and if they're experiencing any symptoms. 

The drastic changes have caused families to interact through windows or over the phone. 

Beverly Pipito, who's in independent living, is usually visited by her daughter who helps organize her pills, deliver groceries and keep her company as she mourns the loss of her husband who passed away in January.

"We try to do Facetime," Pipito's daughter said. "My mom is pretty good at that, sometimes we can't see her face. She's holding the phone too low. She cries every time we talk to her, and it's like she -- there's like a failure to thrive kind of, you know. She's sad. She lost her husband of 65 years and she's isolated now."

"The assisted livings, the nursing homes and hospitals in Wisconsin took early and decisive action to be able to contain the spread of the coronavirus where other states are only doing it now," said Lauren Odesky, president of Oasis Senior Advisors Milwaukee. "They really shut their doors for the safety of their loved ones."

Pipito's family says they're taking things day by day and still plan on calling and showing up to the window to visit with Beverly.