Long Island News Post Published on May, 13th 2020
Written by Nick P
Long Island Nursing Home Facing Backlash Over COVID-19 Deaths
Protesters gathered outside of Our Lady of Consolation Nursing and Rehabilitative Care Center nursing home in West Islip on Mothers Day to display their discontent with the facility. Roughly 2 dozen people gathered outside the facility where at least 39 people have died of COVID-19 related causes.
According to statistics from state authorities, this number of coronavirus related deaths is among the highest in all of Long Island. The claims made against the Our Lady of Consolation Nursing and Rehabilitative Care Center involve neglecting patients and not informing family members when a patient contracted the virus.
Protester Lorry Sullivan explains "My mom came in with an injury to her leg and came out in a body bag," Sullivan said. "This can't happen again." Unfortunately, there are no second chances in a situation like this, as Sullivan can only lose her mother once.
Following their allegations towards the facility, protesters demanded an investigation into the deaths that occurred in this nursing home and called for greater transparency and accountability regarding the operations of these facilities.
Grieving protesters chanted “You lied, you left our parents to die” outside of the Our Lady of Consolation Nursing and Rehabilitative Care Center with many citing disturbing amounts of neglect towards their loved ones.
One protester stated that her father was discharged from Our Lady of Consolation Nursing without being notified he was a COVID-19 suspect. She said that she found out only after reading the paperwork. In a disturbing quote, she added “You would treat a stray dog on the street better than my father was treated here.” Yikes.
Her father died 2 weeks later...
As with many of the protesters, she said her father died of COVID and neglect. The protesters at the site were seen adhering to social distancing guidelines, as they were wearing masks and chanting with 6 feet of space between them.
The New York State Department of Health is investigating how the nursing home has handled the coronavirus outbreak in its facility.
How Did The Nursing Home Respond?
Spokeswoman Chris Hendriks of Catholic Health Services, which is the parent company of Our Lady of Consolation, said that the nursing facility regularly tests residents and isolates those who are symptomatic. He stated that Our Lady of Consolation is in "constant communication” with family members.
Hendriks added to her statement “It’s very unfortunate that this group would stage a protest for Mother’s Day. We have staff nurses, and doctors who are mothers, and they have dedicated themselves to providing quality care and ensuring the safety of our residents throughout this pandemic."
This response does not align with what protesters gather to speak about, with many specifically citing a lack of communication from the facility about the status of a family member's health. One must ask themself why this group of people would be discontent enough to gather and protest on Mother’s Day.
Can Long Island Nursing Homes Be Trusted?
Data shows that nursing home patients have been some of the most vulnerable to the Coronavirus. Officials have not stated why that is, however the age of the general population of the patients likely is a factor.
This situation regarding COVID-19 has made many people question the safety of nursing homes in general. Last Sunday, NY Governor Cuomo addressed the mounting concerns when he announced new policies aimed at protecting nursing home residents.
The reformed policies include a mandatory COVID-19 test for staff members twice a week and prohibit hospitals from discharging a COVID patient to a nurse home. Although these policies may be effective in reducing the spread of Coronavirus in these populations.
The accusations of the lack of communication displayed between Our Lady of Consolation Nursing and family members of patients have made people reconsider if a nursing home is the best treatment option for their loved ones.
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Long Island News Post Published May 13th, 2020
Written by Nick P
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