MILWAUKEE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - As nursing homes across Wisconsin grapple with the pandemic, at Ovation Chai Point, an independent and assistant living facility Milwaukee, residents and staff are dancing the blues away…while of course still social distancing and being safe.

Wednesday, May 28th, 2020, was a day celebrate.

“Actually today is my 84th birthday…they are having this celebration for me. Not true, but it is my birthday,” says resident Phyllis Lensky.

While Lensky’s birthday wish is for the pandemic to be over, for now, a social distance dance party put on by Trish Cohn, Ovation Chai Point’s Executive Director is the next best remedy.

“We are celebrating that we are still COVID-19 free and that everybody is doing great. We are here to say we are happy, we are healthy, we are safe and this dance is from us to you,” says Cohn.

After a long confinement, it was a day to bring staff and residents together.

“I think it's great. I think it’s great that the staff cares enough about us to do something to jive things up and make us happy,” says Lensky.

“It’s fantastic, the camaraderie to have every one together. This is a wonderful place to be,”  says resident Claire Komisar.

After-all, let’s face it, these days it’s hard to be happy. “Summer is my favorite time, but the confinement makes you want to go nuts,” says Resident Barb Franczyk.

”It’s really hard but, I am trying to keep a positive attitude. I miss my children but they drive by and bring me groceries. I get to see them but I can’t hug them or kiss them and I’m a hugger and kisser so that’s the hardest part,” says Barbara Bold who prefers to be called BB.

"From upstairs to downstairs, they all come, they all smile and its a wonderful place to be. They try to keep us happy they really do. I can’t explain it right but they are the most helpful people,” says Bold.

The pandemic is far from over, but for at least one day, residents and staff got a chance to dance their COVID worries away.  

“It’’s wonderful, the weather is beautiful and we are all here and thank goodness we don’t have any COVID-19 at Chai Point and we want to keep it that way so we are all trying to be real careful and follow all of the rules,” says Lensky.