Winter Park nursing home residents, staff get COVID-19 vaccine

Seniors at long-term care facility receive vaccine

Residents of a long-term care facility in Winter Park received their vaccines on Saturday.

WINTER PARK, Fla. - New hope for nursing home residents in Winter Park as the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was administered on Saturday.

"That was quick," resident Marge Heitzhaus said after she received her first COVID-19 vaccine. "Fine. Could hardly feel it."

For the past eight months, her time with family has been limited and at a distance.

"It’s been very emotional because we can’t get together and I’m a big hugger and I can’t hug my family," Heitzhaus said.

But starting now, there is new hope for the future.

"They’re trying their hardest to make things normal, but it’s hard to do," she said.

When the pandemic first began, family members could only visit residents on the other side of the glass, but with the help of some strict safety protocols, the gardens were opened for visitations.

"We’ve had no infections here and we’ve had to work hard to keep it that way," said Richard Baldwin, the president of the board of directors for the Gardens at DePugh Nursing Center.CVS is administering the Pfizer vaccine to all of the residents, staff and board members who choose to get it.

While about 75 percent of residents are opting in, only about half of the staff are electing to do so despite a monetary incentive.

Resident Nurse Heather Wheeler was first in line.

"Hopefully once enough people get the vaccine, our staff and our residents vaccinated, hopefully that will mean a return to normal and the families will be able to come back in and visit with their loved ones," Wheeler said.

So far no one knows when that might be. Marge said she is looking forward to getting the second and final dose of the vaccine on January 23, just two days before her 87th birthday when some of her family plans to visit.

"It’s going to be very emotional, very loving and caring," Heitzhaus said. "I can’t wait."