Coronavirus widespread at ManorCare-Jersey Shore
73 of 83
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JERSEY SHORE -- Scary, frightening, daunting, shocking, alarming.
Call it what you like.
The situation at ManorCare-Jersey Shore is anything by reassuring.
As of Sunday, 73 of the 83 residents at the local nursing home are reported to be suffering from coronavirus and 11 more have already died from the highly contagious disease that is sweeping across the nation and killing thousands, according to Julie Beckert, assistant vice president at HCR ManorCare, Toledo, Ohio.
And 13 staff members at the local nursing home have also tested positive, Beckert confirmed.
These numbers are appalling to relatives of these elderly residents of the nursing home, who are unable to see their loved ones due to visitation restrictions and are getting little information from staff, who cite HIPAA regulations.
The son of an 89-year-old woman who has tested positive has reached out to the state Department of Health, requesting the department investigate the situation at ManorCare-Jersey Shore, to no avail.
And he's also contacted State Rep. Garth Everett, asking for "Help."
Everett said he has contacted DOH repeatedly within the past three week about ManorCare-Jersey Shore.
"To date, they have done little to nothing. They have not sent anyone to actually go into the facility to see the conditions," Everett said. "I will again contact Dr. Rachel Levine with another plea that DOH get DOH personnel inside ManorCare-Jersey Shore to address the conditions there," Everett said in an email Sunday.
Meanwhile, relatives of patients say they don't know what to do.
"It's like we are waiting patiently as more and more residents at the nursing home are dying," the man whose mother is a resident said. "At this time there are only 10 more residents to get infected and it is unknown just how high the fatalities toll will go.
"This entire situation is very upsetting," he continued. "I have not seen my mother in nine weeks. I don't know how she is doing. I think of those who have already died and didn't get to say good-bye… who died alone.
"Although the PA Health Department regulates nursing homes in PA., they are doing a very poor job and not protecting its most vulnerable citizens. We have failed our elderly. My mother was in the facility and she now has COVID-19. This entire situation is unacceptable," he continued, sadness in his voice as he talked about not being able to do anything.
"Who do you call? What do you do? So many questions… no answers," he continued, hoping that his communication with the newspaper and Rep. Everett will get the attention of somebody who will reach out and get involved in this horrible injustice to our most beloved senior citizens, some of whom fought in the military to keep our country free, only to die through no fault of their own.
Meanwhile, Beckert said the nursing home has done full testing and no new residents are being admitted at the center. She said staff is wearing full PPE and follows the infection control processes to contain and minimize the spread.
She said that staff at the center has been working extremely hard in a challenging environment and are true health care heroes who deserve to be recognized as such.