Dallas nursing homes and assisted living centers are the new coronavirus battleground
Dallas’ coronavirus outbreak has taken an alarming turn toward nursing homes, memory care facilities and assisted living centers, County Judge Clay Jenkins disclosed Sunday evening.
Jenkins said four senior citizens living facilities had positive COVID-19 cases — including two with “clusters” of multiple positive tests. He urged North Texans with relatives at any senior living, memory care or nursing facility in Dallas County to consider bringing their loved ones home during the coronavirus crisis.
Earlier Sunday, public health officials had announced that the 10th person to die in Dallas County had been a resident of a long-term care facility. Dr. Phil Huang, Dallas’ county health and human services director, later said during the news conference that that person had been a resident of the Edgemere senior living facility.
“This is a situation where we’re going to see other nursing homes (with positive cases),“ Jenkins said. “So you’ve got a decision to make as a family. My decision may not be your decision. It’s our belief that, but for rare circumstances, maybe last month they were better off in a nursing home, but if you can take care of them they may be better off at home.”
Dallas’ Edgemere senior living facility has four positive cases, including one patient who is still hospitalized, Huang said during the news briefing that was broadcast live on WFAA.
Additionally, four patients have tested positive for coronavirus at Skyline Nursing Center, Jenkins said. Of those, one patient is hospitalized, he said. Also, two other possible cases at Skyline are pending test results.
In addition to the clusters at those two facilities, Jenkins said, a single positive test was confirmed at Monticello West. Finally, Jenkins said that 30 minutes before his 5:30 p.m. news conference began he learned of a fourth senior citizens’ community with a positive test, but he declined to identify that facility until the information was more clear and the patient’s family had been notified.
At Edgemere, all four cases were in the community’s skilled nursing facility, but not its independent living or memory care facilities.
However, an Edgemere employee who had traveled extensively also had tested positive, Jenkins said. Also, one resident of the facility’s independent living apartments was ill but had been isolated and was not confirmed to have the virus, he said.
All four Dallas facilities would be closed to new residents until further notice, Jenkins said.
Also, North Texans who wish to remove a loved one from the four facilities will be allowed to do so, but their families will be strictly quarantined at home for at least 14 days.
Jenkins also said employees at nursing homes, assisted living and other facilities would have to obey a new, strict set of rules such as mandatory wearing of masks at all times. Also, employees will not be allowed to work at more than one facility — a break from the common practice of employees making rounds at multiple centers.
“We’re not going to have a situation where somebody turns up positive, and they’ve gone to six homes,” Jenkins said.
The county judge acknowledged that employees of senior communities were doing incredibly important work in helping the region’s older residents through the pandemic.
“I want to communicate to the nursing home community: We are with you. You are heroes,” Jenkins said. “But you will comply with this order.”
In all, Dallas now has a total of 488 cases, Huang said.
Jenkins also said that police would begin enforcing social distancing at parks, and writing tickets for those who refused to comply.
Tens of thousands of Dallas-area residents have taken to frequenting the region’s green spaces to get exercise and relieve their cabin fever of being stuck at home during the crisis, he said. But the parks are too crowded and visitors are spreading their spit and sweat by jogging and recreating so closely together.
For example, he said, basketball goals likely would be removed from parks.
