When he couldn't visit his mom at her care home, he got a job there instead
Brian Corcoran got a job at a long-term care home to be closer to his mom.
Brian Corcoran's mom is quadrapalegic and has multiple sclerosis. She lives alone in a corner unit of a Toronto long-term care (LTC) facility.
Brian can point to the third-floor unit where his mom is staying — but he isn't allowed to visit her.
When COVID-19 restrictions barred visitors from entering the facility under normal circumstances, Brian could only imagine the effect that isolation would have on the residents inside the facility — especially his mom.
"It's very tough for them mentally to be confined to their room all day and to not have the interaction they're used to," says Brian.
Brian came up with a plan. Eschewing his normal work as a television producer, he got a job at his mom's LTC facility as a unit care aide.
The best part? He never told his mom. He surprised her during the routine meal service.
WATCH
"Surprising my mother was a real highlight," beams Brian.
Every day when he gets to work, Brian gets a temperature check, follows containment protocols and dons protective gear before helping out with the residents.
He does all the usual work a unit care aide does, including helping set up Facetime calls for residents to virtually visit with family members during isolation.
"There's times when you gotta roll up your sleeves and see what you can do to pitch in," he says. "I am a small cog in a large machine that's already doing an admirable job despite how stressful it is."
Stream now
If you want to see more heartwarming stories like this from across Canada, tune in to What're You At? With Tom Power on CBC Television on Sunday evenings at 8 (8:30 NT).
Stream this entire episode on CBC Gem.