Needham assisted living facility first in line to get vaccinated

NEEDHAM, Mass. — At the Wingate at Needham, an assisted living facility, health officials say at least 20 residents have passed away since the pandemic.

When some of the residences got the news they would be the first ones to get vaccinated, they cried - there were both tears of joy and hope.

For the first time since the pandemic, Boston 25 News was allowed inside of an assisted living facility where everyone there is in their mid to late 80s, which puts them at high risk for COVID-19 but also as some of the first in line to get the vaccine for the virus.

Many times at dinner, Wingate residents would talk about when would life ever get back to normal.

“Very lonely, fortunately, there is nothing like Zoom [calls],” said Mercy Wheeler, a resident.

Wheeler, now 86-years-old, lost her husband right before the pandemic.

For months, Wheeler and her dog Pepper had to stay in their rooms, making the best of the situation.

“It’s real, and it’s coming very soon to our facilities,” said Kathleen Campbell, the Vice President of Clinical Services at Wingate.

Campbell says they are getting a 10X10 room ready for, when a vaccine is approved, residents will be able to get vaccinated by CVS.

“CVS has hired vaccinators. They are very good at this, they perform flu clinics,” said Campbell.

“I barely recovered, my son told me they told him I had a 1% chance of living,” said Bob Deauwalter, a resident.

Deuwalter says he was hospitalized in the ICU for two months.

His wife of 64 years passed away from the virus.

“My wife had COVID pneumonia also,” said Deauwalter. “She died on April 1.”

At 87 years old, he is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated.

“Better for all of us if all of us get the vaccine,” said Deauwalter.

“I look forward to being able to go to my daughter’s house,” said Dorothy Olson, a resident.

For 88-year-old Olson, once she gets vaccinated, she is looking forward to spending time with her children.

“If Dr. Fauci can take it, I can take it,” said Olson.

Moving forward, health officials at the facility say people have already signed up and the next step includes setting up times for residents to get vaccinated. The facility says they will be emailed three dates, and those will not change.

The hope is that, by the end of the month, residents at the facility will start getting vaccinated.

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