March 29, 2024

Newton man doesn’t want nursing home residents to be forgotten

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A Newton man has taken it upon himself to ensure residents of Newton’s nursing homes aren’t forgotten during the quarantine.

David Bonnett grew up spending time in nursing homes because his mother worked in one when he was a kid. He got to know several of the residents and he enjoyed visiting as much as possible to spend time with residents.

“I enjoyed going to work with her to hang out with these residents in here because they have so many stories to tell,” Bonnett said.

The coronavirus pandemic had changed the lives of residents, keeping them from visiting with their families and even being near each other.

The residents are, of course, a part of the vulnerable population for COVID-19. Bonnet said he saw a family standing outside of a window talking to a resident at one of Newton’s care facilities and it didn’t sit will with him.

“It started really bothering me because these people can’t reach out and give their loved ones a hug and a kiss. They have to talk through a window,” Bonnett said.

Bonnett decided something needed to be done to make sure the residents know they are loved and missed. He had custom vinyl banners made to put outside nursing homes in Newton.

“I went out and bought vinyl banners, had them custom made to make sure every nursing home in Newton and every resident knew that we still loved them and cared about them and we haven’t forgotten about them,” Bonnett said.

The banners can be found outside various nursing homes in Newton. Bonnett hopes people come up and sign the banners to show their support, too. He places importance on letting these residents know they haven’t been forgotten during these times.

“The banners are meant to be written on. I want the people to do graffiti if they have to, write on them, put hearts whatever they want,” Bonnett said.

The hope is the residents of these communities feel loved and know they haven’t been forgotten. Bonnett said while he was putting the signs up, some residents were watching and Bonnett saw the smiles it put on their faces.

“If I can just spread just a little bit of smile on any of these residents’ faces and let them know we love them and care about them, I did what I was supposed to do,” he said.

For those interested in writing on the banners, they can be found at nursing homes throughout Newton. They are at every nursing home in Newton except the Newton Care Facility which made the decision to not have a banner up which Bonnett said was OK.

“I really want people of Newton to realize these people need us to show them that we still care,” Bonnett said.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com