Tampa assisted living facility asks community to send cards to lonely residents

TAMPA, Fla. - Residents at Alimar Assisted Living are suffering severe loneliness due to strict visitation rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tampa facility’s assistant director, Meredith Caraco hopes community members will lift her residents’ spirits by sending cards and messages.

Caraco says family members and friends are not allowed to visit their loved ones at Alimar because elderly individuals are at increased risk of severe illness due to the novel coronavirus.

Residents are not even allowed to eat together. Rather, they are confined to their rooms and a few outdoor spaces.

Resident of Alimar Assisted Living Facility in Tampa.

Caraco reached out to her friends on Facebook, asking everyone to send cards, artwork, or messages to the residents because they aren't used to being so isolated.

Caraco said her interaction with one resident broke her heart.

"She grabbed onto my arm and she was crying and she was saying, 'When can I go back to my house? I miss my daughter,' and I just thought to myself, ‘What can I possibly do to bring more joy her, to lift everyone's spirits?’” Caraco said. "We normally, we do birthday parties, we have a band that comes in and plays music and everyone dances, we do holiday parties. We're just not able to do it now."

Cards, gifts, or anything that could lift residents’ spirits may be mailed to:

Alimar ALF Residents
2933 W Columbus Drive
Tampa, FL 33607