Lynda Hartman needed a hug.

It had been at least eight months since she touched her 77-year-old husband, Len, who has dementia and has been at an assisted living center in suburban Denver for the last year.

On Wednesday, she got a small taste of what life was like before the coronavirus pandemic.

Sort of.

Thanks to a B次元官网网址渉ug tentB次元官网网址� set up outside Juniper Village at Louisville, Hartman got to squeeze her husband of nearly 55 years B次元官网网址� albeit while wearing plastic sleeves and separated by 4 mil plastic sheeting, which is 4 thousandths of an inch thick.

B次元官网网址淚 really needed it. I really needed it,B次元官网网址� the 75-year-old said after her brief visit. B次元官网网址淚t meant a lot to me, and itB次元官网网址檚 been a long, long time.B次元官网网址�

Hartman, who fractured two vertebrae and could no longer take care of her husband by herself, said she thought he was a little confused but that it was important for them to embrace again.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been trying to do it for a long time,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t felt good. I kept hitting his glasses when I hugged him, though. And he got cold.B次元官网网址�

Although the setup wasnB次元官网网址檛 ideal, Hartman said, B次元官网网址淎t least you can do something, and itB次元官网网址檚 important.B次元官网网址�

Since the pandemic hit, similar tents have popped up around the country and in places like Brazil and England, where some people call them B次元官网网址渃uddle curtains.B次元官网网址�

The assisted living facility in the Denver suburb of Louisville, which has fully vaccinated its residents and staff, partnered with nonprofit health care organization TRU Community Care to set up the tent with construction-grade plastic on a blustery but warm winter day this week.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 just a huge weight off their shoulders, just being able to have that hug that they havenB次元官网网址檛 had in so long,B次元官网网址� said Anna Hostetter, a spokeswoman for Juniper Village at Louisville. B次元官网网址淲hen we were planning this and setting it up, and I saw pictures, I wasnB次元官网网址檛 sure if with all the plastic and everything you could really get that human contact. But I teared up on some of them. It was really special for our families.B次元官网网址�

The hug tent will go up again Tuesday, and staff are planning to keep hosting them.

For Gregg MacDonald, holding hands with his 84-year-old mother, Chloe MacDonald, was important because they hadnB次元官网网址檛 touched since April. She likes to get updates on her grandson and granddaughter.

B次元官网网址淭ime is a precious commodity, so while we all wait to get back to more normality, in the meantime, everyone is doing what they can,B次元官网网址� Gregg MacDonald said. B次元官网网址淪o I appreciate any efforts that they are making to allow us to have more contact with everybody.B次元官网网址�

Amanda Meier, project coordinator for TRU Community Care, said she, her husband and some volunteers built the hug tent around a standard 8-by-8-foot popup frame and attached the construction-grade plastic with glue and Velcro. Plastic arm sleeves built into the tent are attached with embroidery hoops.

Since the beginning of November, she has helped set up four hug tents in Colorado and said the feedback has been positive.

B次元官网网址淟ots of tears, but happy sort of tears, and a lot of shocked expressions of how in the world can we be doing something like this. ItB次元官网网址檚 so weird,B次元官网网址� Meier said.

But after the initial weirdness, the benefits are clear, she said.

B次元官网网址淵ou can see sort of relief in their bodies and their faces when they finally get to have that physical contact, which is really a basic human need. And in these facilities, a lot of times theyB次元官网网址檙e missing it anyway because theyB次元官网网址檙e just not with their families,B次元官网网址� Meier said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think itB次元官网网址檚 measurable, really. You just know it when you see it and feel it when youB次元官网网址檙e there.B次元官网网址�

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