- Hi, this is Apartment's 1 and 2 clients
at the Herbst House.
Unfortunately, we've been quarantined
for the last seven days.
I don't see this as a job.
I see this as a ministry.
- [Jay] Linda Smith has been the director
of the Herbst House for 20 years.
- You have a passion for something,
you kind of do it effortlessly.
- [Jay] Herbst House is one of 17 group homes run
by the nonprofit Avenues to Independence
in northwest suburban Park Ridge.
- I've been trying to keep myself amused--
- [Jay] COVID-19 has presented Avenues and Linda Smith
with a challenge that many institutions now face;
protecting the staff and the greater community
while caring for COVID positive residents.
♪ Happy birthday dear, Jimmy ♪
- [Jay] I first got to know the residents of
another Avenues to Independence House in 2018.
We visited because of the remarkable degree
of autonomy afforded them by the agency.
- Hi, Jay, how are ya?
- [Jay] These days, they're healthy,
but feeling cooped up.
How have you had to change your lives?
- Well, I can't go to work. I got to stay home, see?
- [Jay] Residential director, Stephen Kray,
says there are several things
that make COVID-19 a particular challenge for people
with intellectual disabilities.
- Many of the people living in our homes are
over the age of 60.
We have a lot of individuals with Down's Syndrome
who are more susceptible to respiratory disease.
- [Jay] Another big challenge is staffing,
because while the men of this house don't have staff
around most of the time,
all the other Avenues group homes have onsite care 24 hours
a day in three shifts.
- There's always a risk that a staff person
could be asymptomatic and come into the home
and work with them and potentially infect the residents
and their coworkers.
- [Jay] And that is exactly what happened here
at Herbst House, which has 20 residents
and eight staff members.
- Well, one of my staff called me to inform me
that she had come in contact with someone
who was COVID-19 positive.
- [Jay] Then six residents
and five staff members tested positive,
including Linda Smith,
but instead of sending healthy staff in to work
with the infected residents, they took an unusual step.
- We thought the ideal situation would be
for one staff person to quarantine in place
with the individuals in the home.
That way, no other staff are exposed to them,
and the whole crew of staff aren't coming and going
through the community potentially infecting others
in the community or their family members.
- [Jay] They asked the most senior person first,
Linda Smith.
- [Stephen] Linda didn't hesitate.
She volunteered to do it and just incredibly selfless
and really a inspirational and heroic act.
- [Jay] Linda is 53, and she has some prior health issues.
- I do have an underlying condition of asthma.
Actually, hold on one second.
Can you give me one second.
Actually, what happened was I had a son who passed away
from asthma 17 years ago.
- [Jay] Still Linda Smith chose to spend 24 hours a day
living with the COVID-positive residents.
- It is my job to take care of the clients,
and when he said, "Would you do it?"
It was like, okay, this is my chance to really stand firm
to what I believe.
- [Jay] And Linda has one other compelling motivation.
Her sister had intellectual disabilities
and was institutionalized away from the family
while Linda was growing up.
- If God can take time for me,
I can definitely take time for them.
So I definitely want to give them everything
that God gives me,
and I want to give them love all the time.
I want them to feel my love for them every day,
because I want them to know
at all times, they are truly loved.
They are truly, excuse me, they are truly loved.
- I'm happy to report that Linda Smith
and all of the residents with COVID made full recoveries,
and Herbst House had no more infections
after that initial outbreak.
And by the way, Linda Smith received time
and a half hazard pay 24 hours a day during her quarantine.