Firefighters Show Support For Workers At East Islip Nursing Home

EAST ISLIP, NY — Thanks to the coronavirus, nursing facilities have been force to suspend visitation as a precaution to prevent spreading the diseases to their workers and residents. However, members of the East Islip fire department didn't let that stop them from showing their support for the employees working tirelessly to keep the residents of the Momentum at South Bay Rehabilitation and Nursing facility this past weekend.

On Saturday, the fire department brought six fire trucks down to the nursing home on East Main Street with their sirens blaring and firefighters cheering for the healthcare workers at the 160-bed facility.

"I am truly grateful for my staff for selflessly caring for our residents at this unprecedented time," Joe Aplustille, OTR/L, assistant administrator at Momentum said. "To have this tremendous show of support from the East Islip Fire Department meant the world to all of us and it was exactly what the doctor ordered to raise our spirits and continue our frontline battle."

Last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo suspended all visitations at nursing homes. On Long Island, several nursing homes have seen multiple deaths at these facilities. At the Peconic Landing retirement community in Greenport, nine people have died from the coronavirus. In Nassau County, 17 deaths have been reported among residents of the A. Holly Patterson Nursing Home in East Meadow, which is managed by Nassau University Medical Center.

According to a report in the Long Island Press, 15 percent of the total number of coronavirus deaths on Long Island have been reported at nursing homes. A total of 67 percent of all people who died were over the age of 70.

"If what we did brought five minutes of happiness to the healthcare workers there, it's worth it," Chief Andy Oliveri said. "We just wanted to show our support and let them know that someone cares about the job they are doing."

All photos courtesy of Carole Trottere