Residents and families are angry and helpless as coronavirus overwhelms nursing homes

“When they mailed the letter,” one staff member said, “These people have died.”

Despite reports of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes in Washington earlier this year, many facilities in Massachusetts seem to be overwhelmed and lack the necessary training, testing and equipment . According to state officials, state health officials have identified a cluster of infections in at least 94 elderly facilities, and so far at least 480 people have tested positive.

According to the Massachusetts Public Health Service, 21 cases have been identified in the Charleswell House alone.

Lack of preparation and communication have led to failures and quick decisions. Many residents and their families feel angry and helpless—afraid.

“I’m sad and scary,” said Alexis Hill, whose mother lives in Charles Wellhouse. “And in the face of the inaccuracy of the information we know about conflicting information and facts, it is the essence of man to assume the worst, which is unnecessarily anxious, fearful, sad. Increase. “

A look at how Charles Well and the second facility, Bostar’s Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, handled the crisis, provided a glimpse of the growing fears in elderly care facilities throughout Massachusetts. I can do it.

In Charleswell, three staffs accused of lack of communication, low staffing levels by a very large number of sick workers, and suspected mitigation techniques for the spread of the spreading virus.

Chris Roberts, co-owner of Charwell, said his staff follows all state and federal guidelines to prevent as many deaths as possible in the face of an unprecedented crisis.

“We’re not trying to hide anything, we need help. I’m looking for help,” Roberts said in a telephone interview on Friday.

Beaumont’s response, on the other hand, shows that even good-intentional efforts can fail, increase fear and contribute to the spread of the virus.

Beaumont refused to answer the question. He issued a statement confirming that he was working on infectious diseases and said he was following state guidance.

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Carol Pullio’s mother, Gloria, a 87-year-old terminal cancer patient, has moved to Beaumont, Worcester, just as fear of a coronavirus hit 147 inhabitants.

Then, on March 28, the home manager told Puglio that all residents would be moved to nursing homes elsewhere and converted Beaumont into a recovery center for COVID-19 patients who were discharged from hospital. Was.

According to Prio, three days later, a mover packed Gloria’s belongings in plastic bags and took them by ambulance to another nursing home. A day later, Puglio learned that Beaumont residents had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The plastic bag with Gloria’s belongings and the $ 160 she kept in the safe did not reach the new room. That’s why retired factory worker Gloria said, “I was forced to sleep in the same clothes she wore all day,” her daughter said. She said she was shocked at how Beaumont’s residents were moved immediately.

“They are nurses and teachers, and they fought in wars,” Prio said. “Just because you look at them and you can no longer see the young does not mean they can be washed down under the rug.”

Matt Salmon, CEO of Salmon Health and Retirement in Beaumont’s parent company, Westborough, is pioneering an emergency program to repurpose the Derby Nursing Home as a COVID-19 treatment center and reduce hospital burden. Joined as a volunteer. Patient surge in the coming weeks.

In a letter to residents and family, Salmon said he was inspired by the grandparents’ vision. My grandparents started the company 70 years ago, saying, “I want to take care of the weakest members of the community and treat them like a family.” However, this plan includes many nursing homes in vulnerable health conditions. Includes quick movement of residents, causing immediate rebound.

After about 120 residents moved, the relocation was canceled on Tuesday, when the resident seeking displacement was positive for COVID-19. Salmon Health later confirmed that other members of the remaining population were also infected. Before moving, Beaumont only tested symptomatic residents. This means that some of the relocated people may have spread the virus in their new homes. Salmon Health has not stated whether it will accept Beaumont’s recuperating hospitalized patients this week.

On Thursday, a National Guard research engineer arrived at Norwood Nursing Center in Worcester, a new home in Gloria, and tested her and other residents sent from Beaumont. They were still waiting for the weekend results.

Another 89-year-old Clara Nelson living in Beaumont moved to Beaumont three years before her dementia worsened. Nelson, a Finnish immigrant and former secretary of Worcester Telegram, once loved gardens and cross-country skiing. Her son, Peter Nelson, said she was considered “the second mother to the neighborhood’s children.”

Nelson’s four children, regular visitors, stopped visiting about two weeks ago when Beaumont banned family members and friends in nursing homes, as well as other nursing homes throughout the state .

Nelson was to be relocated on Tuesday, but her move was delayed as a positive resident lived on her floor. On Thursday, Peter Nelson learned that his mother had also tested positive and that she was isolated in Beaumont for the time being.

Peter Nelson asked a clinician to take the computer to his mother’s bed for a FaceTime visit. “I said ‘I need to see my mother’,” he said. “At this point, some patients are basically hostages.”

“My fears,” he said, “Will she die alone in a facility where no one can see her. “

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In Charleswell, three current employees, unidentified for fear of retaliation, described the atmosphere of confusion and lack of communication.

“They are not talking to staff, they are not telling us what is going on, they are not isolating patients,” said the first staff.

One woman had come to Charleswell for a short stay to recover from hip surgery. While there, she died from the virus and said she now lives on the premises, leaving her with a disabled adult son.

Many families do not understand why no more tests have been performed. Only 20 tests were conducted by the weekend. Peter McCrea said his brother, who died of the virus at Charwell House last week, had dementia but was otherwise healthy. He said his brothers might still be alive if all residents were tested and positive residents were quarantined.

Charleswell is a one-story facility with approximately 100 residents, both long-term and short-term. Staff describe homely places to interact with residents, such as families. A solarium with large windows shines light. The fish will be surrounded by darts around the aquarium.

But in recent weeks, COVID-19 has distorted the ham of daily activities. Residents are isolated in rooms and scared and confused.

“I don’t know who died or who died,” said Christine Edwards, one resident of the roommate who died from the virus in a telephone interview. “My area to see missing people who haven’t gone up and down the corridor.”

Uninfected or recovered staff sheds tears on the loss of patients who have become close friends, but does extra work to keep the facility up and running.

“Knowing those who took care of me and seeing suffering and dying like this kills me because I had no plans,” Charleswell said, should have taken more hygienic measures. Another staff felt, said, providing more protection to the staff and isolating the infected patient.

Many employees were sick, and staff said residents were left naked on beds and sheets soiled with urine and feces. Workers without proper training have been required to bathe patients. The minimum number of cleaning and laundry staff is responsible for basic hygiene tasks.

Even in the best of cases, controlling the infection is a daunting task in nursing homes full of elderly and sick patients. People hug, share food, share toilets.

However, employees are worried about the protocols set up by Charles Well managers. Managers have instructed workers to keep patients with symptoms of COVID-19 in rooms with patients who appear to be healthy. (Managers say they follow the CDC guidelines. The CDC guidelines recommend that you keep your nursing home roommate with you even if the test is positive, because everything is likely to be exposed.)

According to three employees, officials were asked to wear a mask as a precautionary measure when the virus spread news first hit, which was said to surprise residents. While protective clothing is currently recommended, some employees do not change gowns as they pass between sick and healthy resident rooms.

According to the staff, the most shattered aspect of the tragic scene is that the patient died alone and that no one loved was nearby. Families ask for updates, but expensive staff cannot return every call. Some relatives try to get as close as possible.

“They only see their parents die from the window, weep and stand outside on a milk box,” said the first staff member.

The specific information received by the family was only a letter sent a week ago, revealing that an unspecified number of staff and residents had tested positive. Many did not know that anyone had died until they read news reports about death.

Charles Wellhouse was purchased last fall by Revolution Healthcare, based in upstate New York. Co-owner Roberts said his team is doing their best to manage the crisis.

He disputed some of the employee claims. For example, a staff-wide meeting was held to discuss which residents were suspected to have the virus. He stated that he had run out of three personal credit cards to pay for additional protective gear.

Roberts has disputed staff estimates of COVID-19-related deaths. The disease was confirmed or suspected in 11 of the last 21 deaths, but was due to other causes.

Roberts said he was trying to secure more tests. He said that ideally everyone in Charles Well could test. He said on Saturday that three other residents were tested by the National Guard.

“This is horrible. When we learn more about this and are given more information, we will do everything directed to make sure that the people are cared for in the best way possible.”

On Saturday, Massachusetts officials said they are checking into Charleswell several times a day and are urgently trying to secure more staff for it. The state also sent protective equipment to the facility.

However, staff interviewing the staff say that Charles Wellhouse has shown at the very first signs of the outbreak that the nursing home must be militant or at risk of significant loss.

“If an outbreak occurs at a facility, better planning is required,” one staff member said. “It’s too late,” said Charles Well.

Robert Weisman [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter Yuta. Laura Kranz [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter Yuta.