Columbus Memory Center donated $20,000 to Piedmont Columbus Regional Foundation’s COVID-19 Infrastructure Fund to provide iPads and support for patients in quarantine. 

The donation comes months after hospitals across the country enacted visitor restrictions as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus. This safety measure revealed another concern for those hospitalized and their loved ones: loss of connection, due to isolation. 

Social isolation and loneliness are known to exacerbate illness. According to the National Institute on Aging, or NIA, solitude can weaken the immune system, however meaningful activities, such as connecting with a loved one, are linked to an increase in mood and overall well-being. 

Columbus Memory Center saw the need-gap and responded with a generous contribution to provide iPads for patients so they can receive face-to-face, virtual visits from worried loved ones.

“The ability for a patient to visually connect with his or her support network, on a regular basis, can help summon the energy to fight this deadly virus,” Dr. Jonathan L. Liss, Columbus Memory Center founder, reflected. “It gives everyone at the Columbus Memory Center great satisfaction to know that our donation can help reduce emotional suffering for patients and their families.” 

The Piedmont Columbus Regional Foundation has provided philanthropic support for Piedmont Columbus Regional for more than 30 years. Columbus Memory Center plans to extend the quest to equip COVID-19 isolation rooms with connective technology across the region through a GoFundMe. Proceeds from the GoFundMe will be divided and shared with select medical facilities across the region.