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Tampa nursing and rehab facility flooded with greeting cards

Living in a nursing and rehab facility has been incredibly isolating as COVID-19 spreads, but words of encouragement are pouring in to help.

TAMPA, Fla. — Nursing and assisted living facilities were some of the first to adopt strict guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19. That means the people living there have gone weeks, if not months without seeing family or friends.

That isolation has been hard for residents and staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Fletcher Health and Rehabilitation in Tampa is one of those places where residents are having a hard time. 

"This has been tough, but we've been able to keep in contact with other facilities to share best practices to improve the spirits of all of the residents," said Scott Allen, the executive director of Fletcher Health and Rehabilitation. He says it's been tough to keep spirits high when social interaction is so limited.

One of the things Allen has done for his residents is make one simple request on Facebook. Allen asked for letters and cards to be either sent to his home so he could disinfect them or to be emailed so he could print them, and then brought them into Fletcher Health and Rehab for residents. 

"To know people in the community truly care about them makes all the difference in the world. We're human beings and humans love to socialize...with all of that cut off, especially on a healthcare setting, people need to know that others on the outside truly do care about them," said Allen. He said he's been incredibly moved by the hundreds of cards and letters that have come pouring in from all corners of the United States. Girl Scout troops in New Jersey sent cards, students from Kansas and well-wishers from all over have been sharing words of encouragement.

Allen is accepting letters and cards to his email address

You can also call your nearest nursing home or assisted living facility to see if they'll accept words of encouragement too.

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