The unexpected, grim discoveries about a makeshift morgue stuffed with 17 bodies at a New Jersey retirement home– where a minimum of 26 people are now dead from the coronavirus– has left member of the family in shock and frightened for the security of their liked ones.
” It is definitely shocking and heartbreaking,” stated Sonia Grunwald, whose 94- year-old mother lives at Andover Subacute and Rehab in Andover, one of the largest retirement home in the state. “I definitely was not knowledgeable about these horrible things that were going on in the other structure. It never ever even crossed my mind that this could be so bad.”
Grunwald stated her mother, a Holocaust survivor, had symptoms of COVID-19 and is currently in seclusion.
” I’m truly simply praying my mom is well taken care of and that the staff is safe,” she stated. “She’s a hard lady but it’s her age that concerns me.”
At his day-to-day rundown on Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy said he has asked state Chief law officer Gurbir Grewal to check out what occurred at the Andover Subacute and Rehab, and examine all longterm care centers in New Jersey “that have experienced a disproportionate variety of deaths” during the pandemic.
” I am heartbroken by the awful news that several people have actually lost their lives. I am likewise annoyed that bodies of the dead were enabled to accumulate in a makeshift morgue,” he said. “We can and must do much better.”
The nursing facility in northwestern New Jersey entered sudden focus, after authorities on Monday got a confidential suggestion about a body supposedly being packed into a shed on the residential or commercial property. Andover Cops Chief Eric Danielson told NJ Advance Media that this past weekend authorities had actually gotten an ask for 25 body bags from the retirement home.
Sussex County Administrator Gregory V. Poff II stated Thursday there have been 57 recent deaths at the facility, of which 26 were COVID-19 related.
Andover has 699 accredited beds between 2 separate facilities. The larger of the 2 is ranked at the bottom in the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare ratings, with 1 out of 5 stars, or “much below par.” The other is ranked 3 stars, or average.
The retirement home is owned by a Lakewood-based business called Alliance Heathcare Holdings. Federal and state records list its principals as Chaim Scheinbaum and Louis Schwartz.
In 2017, the retirement home– then under different ownership– settled charges that it billed New york city Medicaid “for materially second-rate or worthless nursing services provided to specific clients that failed to fulfill federal standards of care and federal statutory and regulatory requirements” according to the U.S. Lawyer’s Office in New Jersey.
The previous owners did not admit to any liability, but consented to settle the case by paying $395,508 to the United States and $492,492 to the state of New York, said federal authorities.
Calls to the nursing home and Andover Area administration were not immediately returned. Calls to a telephone number listed for Scheinbaum were not returned.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the freshman New Jersey Democrat whose district consists of Andover in Sussex County, stated he had actually talked with the administrator of the center on Sunday, who told him there had been a big COVID-19 break out and a considerable amount of deaths in a short time period.
Undoubtedly, on March 29, the Sussex County Division of Health reported an outbreak of the coronavirus at Andover Subacute.
At the same time, Gottheimer reported that he was informed the center had actually been short on personnel– which was verified by Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli at the state’s everyday coronavirus briefing at the everyday coronavirus briefing on Thursday afternoon, noting that the local health department had actually surveyed the website and come to the same conclusion.
” We’re not pleased with what is going on at the Andover center,” Persichilli said.
Gottheimer stated it was heartbreaking for households to understand their loved ones were not being taken care of.
” If you’re so short-staffed, are individuals getting their medicine?” he asked. “Are we doing every possible thing to keep them safe?”
He also had concerns about the absence of communication with households.
” We received lots of calls from employee and member of the family. Individuals are afraid and they’re not getting details,” said the congressman. “They had a big break out and a substantial quantity of deaths in a brief period of time.”
The health commissioner stated 103 citizens and four team member have checked favorable for the virus, while 133 homeowners are reporting flu-like or respiratory signs and 48 staff members are reporting flu-like symptoms.
According to Grunwald, the assisted living home entered into lockdown early last month, barring any visitors at the center. Since the lockdown, she said she has actually spoken to her mother from the other side of a glass window.
She declined to discuss whether she has actually received updates from staff concerning her mother or any positive cases of the coronavirus at the nursing home, however stated the duty for what had happened is with the ownership.
She fears that the outbreak will paralyze nursing personnel who might no longer be able to look after her mom.
” The bottom line is all I appreciate is that she’s truly looked after,” she said. “And that the personnel remains healthy too. We can’t do it without them.”
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