Major Virus Outbreak at a PA Nursing Home- Entire nursing home feared to have it

[Panina]

My heart sunk when I read this.

Entire Pennsylvania nursing home feared to have coronavirus

A Pennsylvania nursing home has reportedly opted to operate under the presumption that its entire resident population and whole staff may be infected with the coronavirus. Brighton Rehabilitation a…

nypost.com

 

[easyrider]

A relative of mine who is about 85 is in a nursing home after having a heart attack. It was decided that she move from her condo of 40 + years to to an assisted living condo. Most of her belongings are moved. She had a heart attack the day she was to move and she ended up in the hospital and then a nursing home. Oddly, the nursing home is the one in our community with the first cases and most cases of covid 19. The assisted living condo management would not let her move in until she was quarantined for 14 days so she was stuck at the nursing home. Now she actually has covid 19. The biggest problem is no visitors. They bring her food and things but the staff doesn't linger. She is stuck in a nursing home room. I can't figure out how long they plan to keep her there but I'm thinking it will be for a longer time than everyone thought.

Bill

 

[bbodb1]

Just another reason in a long list of reasons to never become a resident in a nursing home.

 

[clifffaith]

My heart sunk when I read this.

Entire Pennsylvania nursing home feared to have coronavirus

A Pennsylvania nursing home has reportedly opted to operate under the presumption that its entire resident population and whole staff may be infected with the coronavirus. Brighton Rehabilitation a…

nypost.com

They were evacuating one in Riverside, CA today on the noon news where they had many residents and several staff with covid. And a brand new and very expensive assisted living facility in one of our beach cities has had 4 deaths so far. We definitely aren't eager to move to the continuing care community we are on the wait list for in Carlsbad.

 

[TravelTime]

My heart sunk when I read this.

Entire Pennsylvania nursing home feared to have coronavirus

A Pennsylvania nursing home has reportedly opted to operate under the presumption that its entire resident population and whole staff may be infected with the coronavirus. Brighton Rehabilitation a…

nypost.com

The headline is deceiving. I thought it would say everyone has Covid-19. It actually says, "As of Friday, 42 of the nursing home’s 450 patients had tested positive for the coronavirus, with three of them dying." It also says that the "Pennsylvania nursing home has reportedly opted to operate under the presumption that its entire resident population and whole staff may be infected with the coronavirus." Hence the headline that everyone is feared to have it. Their stats aren't good but the headline would lead me to believe that everyone is infected.

 

[Panina]

The headline is deceiving. I thought it would say everyone has Covid-19. It actually says, "As of Friday, 42 of the nursing home’s 450 patients had tested positive for the coronavirus, with three of them dying." It also says that the "Pennsylvania nursing home has reportedly opted to operate under the presumption that its entire resident population and whole staff may be infected with the coronavirus." Hence the headline that everyone is feared to have it. Their stats aren't good but the headline would lead me to believe that everyone is infected.

With the amount that tested positive, that is high enough already. Based on that number there are many more.

 

[Brett]

My mother's assisted living facility is on a severe lockdown - no visitors, meals are delivered to rooms. We can see her through 'FaceTime" and skype

 

[geekette]

We have so far 11 deaths and still 3 hospitalized just from one nursing home in one small town this week. It has invaded several nursing homes.

 

[DaveNV]

Sobering statistics:

The entire Covid-19 thing in Washington state started with LifeCare nursing home in Kirkland, Washington. The Seattle Times reported: "A March 18 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 129 cases of COVID-19 were associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland. This included at the time 81 residents, 34 staffers and 14 visitors." At least 37 of those died from the disease.

Dave

 

[Tia]

My mothers facility offered to set up face time to keep in touch + she has a landline in her room so she can get phone calls anytime. They are closed to visitors and meals in their rooms

 

[TravelTime]

I think the worst part of Covid-19 is that people are dying alone.

 

[b2bailey]

They were evacuating one in Riverside, CA today on the noon news where they had many residents and several staff with covid. And a brand new and very expensive assisted living facility in one of our beach cities has had 4 deaths so far. We definitely aren't eager to move to the continuing care community we are on the wait list for in Carlsbad.

A related story just east of Riverside -- many ambulances were seen delivering patients to a Palm Desert convalescent hospital today. People are guessing they came from Riverside. Can't even imagine the logistics of relocating that many patients.

 

[clifffaith]

Now they are saying nurses refused to report to work. And one woman said her dad didn't get meals for a day and a half -- not even juice. Someone who did report for work should have called the authorities when they weren't able to feed residents due to lack of help. Someone needs to be criminally prosecuted for this.

 

[b2bailey]

Now they are saying nurses refused to report to work. And one woman said her dad didn't get meals for a day and a half -- not even juice. Someone who did report for work should have called the authorities when they weren't able to feed residents due to lack of help. Someone needs to be criminally prosecuted for this.

I'm guessing the workers felt unsafe. Of 13 assigned for that day, only one showed up. The county sent nurses to help but couldn't sustain it, so that's why they had to relocate patients. Supposedly, the 20+ brought to Palm Desert tested negative. A logistics nightmare. My sympathies are with the staff. I don't think they would abandon the patients on a whim.

 

[bogey21]

Knock on wood but my CCRC with approximately 450 residents is COVID-19 free. Management jumped on this early and pretty much shut us down, no visitors etc. Will this continue? Who knows? What I do know is that if just one person gets infected, we could be in trouble. Our main risk as I see it is an employee bringing the virus into the facility. They can't get in until checked by a Medical Professional but it only takes one to get through...

George

 

[Miss Marty]

New measures to protect nursing homes in
Los Angeles as coronavirus death toll rises.

In Los Angeles County in California, health officials are creating a carve-out to the shelter-in-place mantra, calling on families to bring home their elderly relatives from nursing homes if at all possible.

More than 120 communal living facilities in Los Angeles - including nursing homes and assisted living facilities - now have at least one positive COVID-19 case

 

[alwysonvac]

New Jersey nursing home where bodies found in 'makeshift facility' has history of citations

"It's under control." 103 residents test positive for coronavirus, an additional 133 show symptoms at New Jersey nursing home where 35 have died.

www.usatoday.com

 

[davidvel]

A related story just east of Riverside -- many ambulances were seen delivering patients to a Palm Desert convalescent hospital today. People are guessing they came from Riverside. Can't even imagine the logistics of relocating that many patients.

Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County.

 

[Monykalyn]

I'm guessing the workers felt unsafe. Of 13 assigned for that day, only one showed up. The county sent nurses to help but couldn't sustain it, so that's why they had to relocate patients. Supposedly, the 20+ brought to Palm Desert tested negative. A logistics nightmare. My sympathies are with the staff. I don't think they would abandon the patients on a whim.

No good staff won't abandon on a whim. There is definitely more to that story. I wonder if a lot of staff were single parents and the headlines of losing your kids scared them? Remember that majority of staff are NOT well paid RN's or MD's but maybe a bit more than minimum wage workers.

calling on families to bring home their elderly relatives from nursing homes if at all possible.

Ugh this could end up WAY more dangerous-so many residents require way more care than families are able to provide, what if they can't navigate steps, toilet themselves, have exit seeking behavior or other behaviors that suddenly moving to a strange to them environment exacerbates, need to be on modified diets (choking risk), many have complicated medication regimens. I forsee a lot more falls/hip fractures/head injuries. This is an area that maybe National Guard medical personnel could help?? People who call for all nursing homes to empty really really don't get what goes on in one. Well run facilities are safer for our citizens.

One of my facilities locked down about a week before this stuff really started ramping up due to flu-and many of the employees live in company provided housing on the grounds (it is a bit out of the way). Even they have to do isolation but they are allowing shifts in communal dining with one resident to a table, and two separate dining rooms for the ones that need assistance. No cases (knock wood) there.

 

[Panina]

No good staff won't abandon on a whim. There is definitely more to that story. I wonder if a lot of staff were single parents and the headlines of losing your kids scared them? Remember that majority of staff are NOT well paid RN's or MD's but maybe a bit more than minimum wage workers.
Ugh this could end up WAY more dangerous-so many residents require way more care than families are able to provide, what if they can't navigate steps, toilet themselves, have exit seeking behavior or other behaviors that suddenly moving to a strange to them environment exacerbates, need to be on modified diets (choking risk), many have complicated medication regimens. I forsee a lot more falls/hip fractures/head injuries. This is an area that maybe National Guard medical personnel could help?? People who call for all nursing homes to empty really really don't get what goes on in one. Well run facilities are safer for our citizens.

One of my facilities locked down about a week before this stuff really started ramping up due to flu-and many of the employees live in company provided housing on the grounds (it is a bit out of the way). Even they have to do isolation but they are allowing shifts in communal dining with one resident to a table, and two separate dining rooms for the ones that need assistance. No cases (knock wood) there.

My dad was in a nursing home. If he was alive I would try pull him out not only for his projection but for my moms sanity. She could never deal with him being always alone and not being able to go visit. It would have been so difficult with his limitations but I would have tried. I can imagine how difficult it is for loved ones to have family in Nursing homes, hospitals, etc. and not being able to be with them.

The one he was in updated their website and said they had just had confirmed cases as of April 4. They did not provide how many.

Yesterday I tried to find out how many of the US deaths are due to those being in Nursing homes, Rehab Homes, Assisted Living, etc.? Found some data but nothing as a whole. I think the numbers will a very large percentage of those we have lost.

 

[Roger830]

As of Thursday in Connecticut, 47% of deaths were in nursing homes.

"As of Thursday, 791 people have died.
There are 1,713 confirmed cases at nursing homes, which house the most vulnerable populations; 375 nursing home residents have died."

This Is Where There Are Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in CT Nursing Homes

The state of Connecticut now has 41,762 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 3,868 have died. At Connecticut nursing homes and assisted living facilities, there are a combined 9,329 cases. These facilities house some of the most vulnerable populations, and the numbers reflect that. According to...

www.nbcconnecticut.com

 

[Monykalyn]

@Panina i think some families would do a good job, especially since many are home full time right now. But I also know it’s not for everyone and for an official to make a sweeping recommendation without caveats or trying to get qualified staff in can and probably will lead to unnecessary harm. Families will try but especially those with dementia- it’s exhausting to keep them safe and satisfied. And family don’t get “shifts” or breaks if it’s just a couple people trying to handle it. I do hope this leads to better pay for our NH staff (they are criminally underpaid- many will eventually leave when the gas station down the road highest at $3 more per hour, offer to train for advancement and maybe help with schooling). I’ve also been a vocal advocate for good sanitation policy for ALL visitors ALL the time, not just in high flu season. Way too many time I’ve seen as a family member comes to visit and brings lil Johnny - who was home sick from school “but he’s fine now but the school won’t let him come back as he had a fever yesterday” . Sick leave policies for staff are atrocious as well. If anything good can possibly come from this tragedy Ihope these policies are changed!

 

[geekette]

@Panina i think some families would do a good job, especially since many are home full time right now. But I also know it’s not for everyone and for an official to make a sweeping recommendation without caveats or trying to get qualified staff in can and probably will lead to unnecessary harm. Families will try but especially those with dementia- it’s exhausting to keep them safe and satisfied. And family don’t get “shifts” or breaks if it’s just a couple people trying to handle it. I do hope this leads to better pay for our NH staff (they are criminally underpaid- many will eventually leave when the gas station down the road highest at $3 more per hour, offer to train for advancement and maybe help with schooling). I’ve also been a vocal advocate for good sanitation policy for ALL visitors ALL the time, not just in high flu season. Way too many time I’ve seen as a family member comes to visit and brings lil Johnny - who was home sick from school “but he’s fine now but the school won’t let him come back as he had a fever yesterday” . Sick leave policies for staff are atrocious as well. If anything good can possibly come from this tragedy Ihope these policies are changed!

Yes. More low wage, low respect jobs, with employers expecting them to put themselves at risk of death. Many workers from nursing homes have died.

I agree, not every family home is going to be able to appropriately care for the elderly.

 

[bogey21]

They were evacuating one in Riverside, CA today on the noon news where they had many residents and several staff with covid. And a brand new and very expensive assisted living facility in one of our beach cities has had 4 deaths so far. We definitely aren't eager to move to the continuing care community we are on the wait list for in Carlsbad.

Knock on wood. My CCRC with roughly 450 residents has not yet been touched with a single COVID-19 occurrence. Manangement locked us down early on. Things like no visitors allowed; help gets checked by Medical Professionals every day they report to work; and must wear masks; meals are delivered to our rooms; no group activities; 6' rule is in place; no more than 4 on an elevator; etc. I know we are not home free and can not let our guard down but so far, so good...

George

 

[clifffaith]

Knock on wood. My CCRC with roughly 450 residents has not yet been touched with a single COVID-19 occurrence. Manangement locked us down early on. Things like no visitors allowed; help gets checked by Medical Professionals every day they report to work; and must wear masks; meals are delivered to our rooms; no group activities; 6' rule is in place; no more than 4 on an elevator; etc. I know we are not home free and can not let our guard down but so far, so good...

George

We'll be staying at the timeshare a block away again in October. Always stick our head in at the CCRC anyway, and this time one of our questions will be how'd they do during the virus. I don't expect they had a problem, but we'll see.