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A third resident at Cape Town’s Nazareth House for the Elderly died of Covid-19, the facility said on Wednesday.
CEO Wayne Devy said this was despite the extreme measures that Nazareth House had introduced to protect its residents and staff from the coronavirus even before the shutdown began.
News24 reported Tuesday that, by May 8, two residents had died, while four residents and 11 staff members had tested positive.
Devy said Wednesday that Nazareth House is known for its homes for the elderly, disabled and abandoned children, with facilities in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth, as well as the Vredehoek and Elsies River in Cape Town.
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When the coronavirus first emerged in South Africa, and due to the vulnerability of residents, Nazareth House implemented a wide range of disinfection and physical distancing measures, and visits from friends and family were not allowed.
Measurements
Based on what he knew about the virus, the measures included:
– Several non-essential staff members were placed on ‘temporary layoff’ to reduce the number of people entering the facility and thus reduce the risk of infection at the facility;
– Essential staff were asked, where possible, to isolate themselves in the facility where they were employed;
– Arrangements were made to accommodate essential staff members who would be accommodated within the facility, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus;
– All essential staff members, who could not be accommodated at the facility, including providers and service providers, were screened daily before entering the facility.
Devy added: “All of our facilities were completely blocked. These measures have continued throughout the national closure period and continue to exist to date.”
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He noted that many of the residents in his care are also terminally ill, with existing medical conditions and comorbidities.
Comorbidities is a term used to describe other diseases that can complicate a person’s recovery if they are infected with the virus, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart problems.
Gravity
Devy said they were aware of the severity of the virus and had done everything possible to protect residents and staff.
“Unfortunately, we, along with the rest of the world, sail in unknown waters and, despite all the strict regulations imposed by the administration during this closing period, on April 28, 2020, one of our residents, who resides in The Villa, which is our dementia care center located in Cape Town, passed away.
“This particular resident had a terminal illness. As a precautionary measure, the resident was screened for Covid-19, so the test results were positive.”
After the first death, movement of residents and staff was further restricted and a deep cleanup was performed.
An investigation was carried out to trace who had been in contact with the person who died; These contacts were tested for Covid-19 and quarantined.
The remaining residents of The Villa were evaluated for Covid-19 and three more were positive.
They were put in isolation, but one of those residents also died.
The Villa has 76 staff members serving residents. Forty-seven, so far, have been tested and 13 have tested positive.
The CEO said the lack of test kits and the delay in receiving the test results have not helped. It also caused anxiety and panic in staff and families.
Nazareth House also has another facility, which cares for the elderly in Cape Town, but is not part of the dementia care unit.
On May 8, a terminally ill resident died and she was found to have tested positive for Covid-19 as well.
He had shown no symptoms of the coronavirus.
Decontamination
After his death, decontamination and isolation within that facility also continued.
Devy said Nazareth House has contacted the government for help evaluating staff and getting results as quickly as possible. He is also in constant contact with doctors and other professionals for assistance.
“Although we are a non-profit organization, we have spared no cost in trying to protect all residents and staff during this Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
There has been no coronavirus outbreak at other Nazareth House facilities, but with the Western Cape showing such a high number of Covid-19 cases, Devy noted that it is not unlikely.
Joshua Chigome, spokesperson for the provincial MEC for social development Sharna Fernández, said that they are working with all the nursing homes under their jurisdiction during this time.
The department finances the Nazareth House.
“However, we are working closely with the board of directors of all nursing homes in terms of implementing their infectious disease policy and disaster management plans,” said Chigome.
On Tuesday, the distraught daughter of a well-known resident at The Villa expressed fear that her father might contract the virus, after the first case came to light, News24 reported. The daughter lives abroad, but cannot travel due to restricting travel restrictions and cannot be at her father’s bedside.
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