‘Hug Tents’ Give Older America Needed Contact, Safely

The COVID-19 health crisis¹ has made it harder for older Americans who are in assisted² living homes to have physical contact with their families.

The Juniper Village at Louisville is an assisted living home in a neighborhood near Denver, Colorado. It has fully³ vaccinated⁴ people living there and its workers. With the help of TRU Community Care, a nonprofit healthcare organization, Juniper Village created "hug tents" with plastic for people living there.

Amanda Meier is a project coordinator⁵ with TRU Community Care. With the help of her husband and some volunteers, they built the "hug tent." It includes plastic arm sleeves for safe contact.

The tents are giving families a way to stay connected and see each other in a safe way. The tents permit people to hug and be in close contact without infecting each other by using the plastic barrier.

Anna Hostetter is the spokeswoman for Juniper Village. "I think it's just a huge weight off their shoulders, just being able to have that hug that they haven't had in so long," she said.

During the planning of the "hug tents," Hostetter said she was not sure if one could feel human contact through plastic. But she said the experience "was really special for our families." Juniper Village plans to continue using the tents.

Since the coronavirus health crisis started, similar "hug tents" have been created around the United States, England and in Brazil.

Len Hartman is a 77-year-old dementia patient at Juniper Village. Lynda Hartman, his wife of nearly 55 years, was able to experience what life was like before the health crisis by hugging Len.

"It felt so good. I kept hitting his glasses when I hugged him, though," Lynda said.

Lynda can no longer take care of Len by herself because of broken bones in her back. "I really needed it...It meant a lot to me, and it's been a long, long time," Lynda Hartman said after her short visit in the hug tent.

Words in This Story

tents – n. a portable⁶ shelter made of nylon⁷ or plastic

sleeves – n. the part of a shirt, jacket, etc., that covers all or part of your arm

spokeswoman – n. a woman who speaks for or represents someone or something

dementia – n. a mental illness that causes someone to be unable to think clearly or to understand what is real and what is not real

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 assisted   

adj.[计]辅助的v.帮助，促进( assist的过去式和过去分词 )；为…的助手；为…当帮手；辅助

参考例句：

• We were ably assisted by a team of volunteers. 我们得到一批志愿者的大力协助。
• The nurse assisted with the preparation of the medicine. 护士帮助准备药品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

5 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

6 portable   

adj.轻便的，手提式的；n.便携的东西

参考例句：

• I have a portable typewriter.我有一个便携式打字机。
• There is a pretty portable pair of steps in one corner of the room.屋角放着一架小巧玲珑的折梯。

7 nylon   

n.尼龙；尼龙长袜

参考例句：

• He dresses a nylon shirt.他穿着一件尼龙衬衫。
• How many products are made from nylon? 有多少种产品是由尼龙制造的？