Milwaukee VA Medical Center

Erinn Kulba, a spinal cord injury recreation therapist, helps set up a Skype visit with World War II Veteran John Gugg and his grandson, Matthew.

Sitting next to his bed in the Milwaukee VA Medical Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Center, 92-year-old John Gugg peers through his thick glasses at the 60-inch television monitor towering in front of him.

After a few hiccups and failed connections, a familiar face appears on the large screen: Matthew Schumaker, Gugg’s grandson.

“How are you feeling?” Matthew asks.

“I’m feeling very well,” John said. “But I could be dying in bed and people would be telling me I look good,” the Navy Veteran wisecracks.

Thus began a family visit that, a little more than a month ago, would have been face-to-face. But the coronavirus outbreak forced the Milwaukee VA Medical Center to bar all visitors.

When that happened, recreation therapists, nurses, social workers and others throughout the hospital sprang into action. Realizing the importance of family interaction, they took to Skype, Facebook Messenger and Zoom to provide patients with virtual contact.

“It’s so important,” said recreation therapist Sara LeClaire, who works in the Community Living Center on the hospital’s ninth floor. “They need to connect with their families.”

Fellow recreation therapist Erinn Kulba, who works in the Spinal Cord Injury Center and helps Gugg with his daily video chats with family, agreed.

“You can see the increase in overall affect and mood when they’re talking with family,” she said. “And it’s really beneficial for the family as well; they can check in on loved ones and see they’re being well taken care of, and they can engage and interact.”

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During their chat, which lasts nearly an hour, Gugg learns about the new reality for his grandson and his family, living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and working from home with two young children, Cora, 6 and Crosby, 2.

At one point, Cora pops in for a visit, hanging on her dad’s shoulder. She shows her great-grandfather a picture she drew. Gugg’s eyes light up.

“It’s wonderful to see you and talk to you,” he says.

“I agree,” Matthew says. “This is my first time to Skype with Grandpa.”

While it’s Matthew’s first time, it’s not the first Skype conversation for Gugg. Thanks to Kulba and his daughter, Beth Schumaker, Gugg has virtual visits with family members at 2 p.m. every day, seven days a week. That includes Gugg’s five children, his 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Veteran Scott Fridl, who is staying in the Community Living Center, got to visit with his family via Skype, and they sang him "Happy Birthday."

Daughter Kate Reza, who lives in California, takes Gugg on virtual hikes outdoors. Another daughter takes her father out on a lake near her home in West Bend.

“It’s really been such a blessing to be able to see him,” Kim said, crediting Kulba for her work in setting up the technology and schedule. “I know it helps him a lot to be able to see us. It makes a big difference.”

Gugg was initially hospitalized in late February and soon was transferred to the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. Kim would visit every day, but she came in one Monday and was told the following Wednesday would be the last in-person visit allowed.

“In the beginning, it was rough for him on every level,” she said. “I didn’t want him there by himself. I wanted him to know people were thinking of him and praying for him.”

It wasn’t long until the Skype sessions were set up and the virtual visits began. On Easter Sunday, the entire family took part in a group Skype with their patriarch.

“That was cool,” Beth said. “This is an amazing benefit. I can’t get over how it changes things. I have seen his spirits lifted as time has gone on. Everyone’s really rallied around him in this difficult time.”

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Up on the ninth floor in the medical center’s Community Living Center nursing home, LeClaire has also seen the blessings of the virtual visits.

“It’s a huge benefit,” she said. “You need that visual to see that they are happy and involved, and staff are engaging them and taking good care of them. Having them communicate with their families is just humongous.”

Before the coronavirus forced the nursing home into quarantine, Le Claire said there were typically 10 outings a month. Now they’ve all been canceled.

“It’s so hard for them not to be able to leave the unit and not have visitors. They’re sad and anxious, and they worry about their families.”

Fellow therapist Johnny Tsui agreed, saying the video chats help prevent social isolation.

“We have a lot of Veterans of different backgrounds,” he said. “Some are very family oriented, but some are socially isolated. Seeing their families helps open them up.”

While the visual aspect can strengthen the interaction, Tsui noted that some of the Veterans are dealing with conditions such as stroke or dementia that affects their mental capacity.

That’s when therapists step in to facilitate the conversations.

“We talk about the weather, the food, what’s happening, some reminiscing. Those things typically facilitate conversations a lot better,” he said.

“As therapists, we’re always looking at social engagement.

“The families have been very appreciative,” Tsui said. “Getting to see their loved ones’ faces is a priority.”

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Unfortunately, not all of the virtual visits have happy endings.

LeClaire noted a recent session where family members gathered to be with a Veteran on his last day. Because of the rules forbidding all visitors in the hospitals, they could not be by his bedside.

“I set up Facetime so the family could say goodbye,” she said. “It’s so terrible and sad that they can’t be with their loved one when they pass, but this is something we can provide. It was appreciated.

“They’re leaving their legacy through technology.”