On Thursday we learned about two more nursing homes that are trying to contain an outbreak of COVID. Thursday is expected to be the night when the state finally releases more detailed data on specific nursing home infections. FOX61 has been pressing the state to do that for weeks.
Brenda Anagnos and her husband Josh are from Glastonbury. They just lost Brends'an 81-year-old mother Carol. "I feel if she got the care sooner, she would be here," said Brenda.
Carol was diagnosed with COVID at Kimberly Hall North in Windsor.
"Yeah her mom Carol Ballard she was just one of those people who everyone liked. She always found the good in people," said Josh.
The facility is operated by Genesis Healthcare.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by COVID-19 during this difficult time, especially the families of those residents who passed away," they said in a statement.
According to Brenda, her mother Carol was the first one to test positive for COVID at Kimberly Hall North. Brenda visited her mother in her dying days through the window. She is claiming her mother didn't get good care or communication.
"She could see me and I was waving and saying Mom I love you. She was trying to tell me she was cold. I called and called and called the doctors and nurses from the window." Brenda continued, "And I actually got a comment right after that saying Brenda, very nicely, can you please stop calling so much. I came home and I told Josh she’s not gonna make it but there is no one who is listening to me."
Connecticut Nursing Home COVID-19 Data April 16, 2020
Genesis told FOX61 that HIPAA laws prevent them from commenting on individual cases, but they sent FOX61 a list of their efforts to contain the spread.
-Screening residents and patients for symptoms - three times daily
-Actively screening and taking temperatures of all staff upon building entry
-Requiring all staff to wear personal protective equipment
-Visitation restrictions, except for exceptional circumstances, such as end-of-life situations
-Cancellation of all outside medical appointments except for medically necessary, time-sensitive and life-saving treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy
-To make things easier for families, we have implemented the ability for families and loved ones to perform video conferencing calls using Zoom technology
-For any centers where we positive cases arise, we notify patients, residents, and families immediately, and update them via video conference calls
The 150-bed facility at Kimberly Hall North has 56 residents and 19 staff who have tested positive. Most of them come from the memory care unit where patients tend to wander.
In Ridgefield, at the Ridgefield Crossings nursing home, they are also dealing with a deadly outbreak of COVID. 16 residents have died, 18 residents are currently positive and 17 staff have COVID. They are having staffing difficulties.
It’s a Benchmark Senior Living Facility. They declined an interview but said they’ve, “engaged additional staffing support through a combination of local agencies...These temporary employees are qualified, licensed staff and meet the state requirement for assisted living regulations..."
All of this is changing rapidly, while Athena Healthcare works to stand up for the COVID recovery centers. The first, at a nursing home in Sharon. They started accepting patients Thursday.
RELATED: State-run congregate living facilities for the mentally ill and disabled struggle to contain COVID
"The second floor of the building has been completely readied for individuals with COVID 19 to come in from area hospitals," said Athena Healthcare Systems Spokesperson Tim Brown.
46 beds are available at the facility in Sharon. It’s meant as an intermediate level of care for those who’ve been discharged from hospitals. The COVID-negative nursing home residents who currently reside in Sharon are being relocated.
"Residents who are COVID-negative have already begun being transferred to area nursing homes either within the Athena network or other nursing homes that have availability," explained Brown.
Athena will also stand up to two additional COVID recovery centers. One in Torrington will begin accepting patients Monday. There will be another in Meriden. It's taking a little longer to set those up because those were previously closed nursing homes.