T
he voicemails became more desperate as the weeks dragged on.
Maria Alimusa, a 70-year old resident at The Heights of Summerlin skilled nursing home, was recovering from a stroke when she left a voicemail for her son in California on Feb. 21. Her voice quavered as she predicted her impending death.
I just want to say Ive been thinking about you, and I feel like Im going to be passing soon, she told him.
Alimusa, a nurse for 30 years, wasnt worried about the new coronavirus then, as it had not yet reached the U.S. But she told her son, Roderick, she feared she would suffer another stroke because the quality of care at the facility was so poor. She begged him to transfer her to a different nursing home.
Before he could, it was too late.
In one of her last messages, on April 5, she whispered in a raspy voice that she felt she had a cold, though she chalked it up to allergies. But then she developed a phlegm-filled cough.
The symptoms worsened until April 12, when she was transferred from The Heights to Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, where she had once worked.
Alimusa died there two days later.
Only after her death did Roderick Alimusa learn his mother had died of COVID-19, which she apparently contracted in the nursing home.
Though The Heights of Summerlin is licensed by the state as a skilled care nursing home, a newly released, 26-page investigative report from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and Review-Journal interviews with current and former staff and patients paint a picture of a facility where the most basic safety precautions were ignored both before and after the coronavirus invaded.
As some patients were discharged without being tested for the illness, families were also left with unanswered questions as to whether their loved ones were counted among the facilitys 28 patient deaths the most of any other state-run or regulated facility.
Maria Alimusa
One other facility, Lakeside Health & Wellness Suites in Reno, has lost 27 residents and one staff member.
To date, The Heights, which has 190 beds, has logged 150 cases of COVID-19 among 87 patients and 63 staff, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services nvhealthresponse.nv.gov website.
Its sister property, St. Joseph Transitional Rehabilitation Center in Las Vegas, also has seen a surge of the disease, recording 57 new cases and five deaths over the past month. It has the second-highest case total among nursing homes at 101 and also is under investigation by the state.
Summit Care LLC is listed as the owner of both properties. Its parent company is Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare Inc., which says on its website that it operates different types of senior facilities in 25 states.
Genesis Healthcare announced in late May that it had received more than $300 million in government grants and loans to help it grapple with the coronavirus pandemic that at the time had killed about 1,500 of its residents.
Its unclear how much of that if any went to its Las Vegas Valley facilities.
The administrator of both nursing homes, Andrew Reese, said in a statement Friday that The Heights is a larger-than-average facility, with more than 300 employees and a significant volume of hospital admissions, which increases the risk of transmission. Patients are also still leaving the facility for lifesaving treatment, like dialysis and chemotherapy.
Despite all of the preventive steps nursing homes are taking, the virus is still making its way into nursing homes across the nation. This is a complex virus that is hard to detect, he said.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by COVID-19 during this difficult time, especially the families of the three patients that passed away at our facility.
One of the most alarming deficiencies state investigators found at The Heights was a lack of timely, accurate reporting of COVID-19 cases and related deaths to the state.
Some cases were not reported until the state found an undisclosed positive test associated with The Heights in the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System and ordered the facility to correct any similar omissions, the investigation found.
The same problem occurred with deaths, as The Heights death case count jumped from eight to 18 when the recheck of records occurred, investigators said.
These additional deaths were already in the COVID death database, but were not known to be associated with the facility until the facility later reported them, investigators wrote.
Reese, The Heights administrator, disputed that, saying an independent review found the facility had not violated record keeping or reporting regulations.
The result was that we successfully disputed the findings and the tag (complaint) was deleted, he said.
Shannon Litz, a spokeswoman for the state Health and Human Services Department, clarified that the complaint was dismissed in reporting to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Healthcare Safety Network, but not on the state level.
The state of Nevada inspection and the (statement of deficiencies) provided still stands, and the Division of Public and Behavioral Health is working with the facility, she said.
Among other findings of the state investigation:
Staff assigned to the quarantine area of the facility were not fit tested or medically cleared for use of the N95 face masks.
Staff improperly wore isolation gowns and jumpsuits and did not follow the procedure for disinfecting them before leaving the isolation areas.
Workers were observed failing to change out of their protective gear after visiting patients.
One symptomatic resident was spotted in the quarantine area without a mask.
Patients often went outside their rooms without wearing masks.
Those familiar with The Heights operations wonder if management bears the blame.
Employees who were present at the time say that news that the coronavirus had been confirmed in the facility came only via whispers, as Reese kept them in the dark and hoarded protective gear in his office.
It wasnt until people spoke up that they stopped doing that and started implementing another plan, according to one worker who was furloughed and asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
A former nurse supervisor, who left in mid-April out of concern over unsafe working conditions and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the nursing home was not compliant with safety guidelines for health care workers.
I said, COVID is going around, so we do need to have that to protect the nurses and foremost the patients, said the nurse, who did not wish to be identified by name as she is looking for work.
They told me that the (personal protective equipment) supply is in his office, and I said why is it in the office? I dont need to ask him. Hes supposed to provide us with masks, she said.
Nurse
They were not smart enough to get one step ahead. The invisible enemy got there before we could even think. And learning that several of (my patients) died was heartbreaking for me, it really was.
Reese said that workers have been wearing full gear since March 31 and that there has been no shortage of personal protective equipment since then. The supply is secured to make sure that it is not stolen, he said, and he or the supervisor on duty is responsible for distributing it to employees and patients.
Other workers said that the facility also was so desperate for certified nursing assistants that supervisors had other staff members help out on the floors and answer call lights for patients.
At times, the ex-supervisor said, she alone would work a floor with 30 patients.
Reese denied any manpower shortage, saying, At no time during the outbreak have we had any material staffing issues as (the number of patients in the facility) was also impacted.
The facility is advertising job openings for four nurses and two certified nursing assistants on its website.
Patients who stayed at The Heights in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak said they also were not surprised that the disease ran rampant.
Geraldine Garcia, 74, was admitted April 4 for a broken ankle and checked herself out after 10 days.
She said she was not given a mask until April 12, and she alleged that on multiple occasions a nursing assistant changed her diaper with his mask below his chin.
Other times she was left in a wet diaper, sometimes for four hours, she said. Once, she held herself up in a bedpan for 40 minutes before somebody came to help.
She overheard workers say that a man living at a nursing home had died from the coronavirus.
I thank God that I yelled and told them I wanted out of there. I just couldnt take it no more, Garcia said. I could have been one of those that was stuck in there and maybe died.
Other families were not so fortunate.
Phyllis Wyant, who had a small stress fracture in her back, needed six weeks of rehabilitation. But instead the 80-year-old was discharged with a cough after just four days.
The facility never responded to questions from her family on why she was discharged early, they said.
The day after she returned home, Wyant called her daughter, Tracy LaMonica, and told her, I dont feel right.
Wyant was taken to Summerlin Hospital, where she became very weak. The coronavirus claimed her life on April 18.
It went from a cough to pneumonia to COVID to dead in five days, LaMonica recalled later. I definitely feel like they gave it to her and withheld (that information) from us.
Another former Heights resident, 98-year-old Faye Brown, also died at a hospital the same day. Her daughter-in-law, Shelly Robinson, said they were never, not once told that there had been COVID-19 in The Heights.
Robinson said her family received a call from staff at 4:30 a.m. and were told that Browns oxygen levels were low and she was unconscious and couldnt be revived. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter at the hospital.
Later that day, the family stopped by the nursing home and were told that there wasnt staff available to help pack up her belongings.
Instead, they invited family members in, gave them masks, took their temperatures and gave them three hours to pack stuff up, Robinson said.
That all changed when they returned the next day. They wouldnt let us in because it wasnt safe, she said.
Reese, The Heights administrator, disputed the account, saying that family members were not allowed to enter the building and that when a patient or resident is discharged or has died, staff members pack up any belongings and contact the family to arrange a pickup.
As far as Robinson knows, Brown was never tested for COVID-19. Her death certificate lists cardiopulmonary arrest and essential hypertension as the immediate cause of death.
Robinson said that throughout the ordeal, she experienced a complete lack of accountability in the culture at The Heights.
Everybody wanted to pass the buck, she said. Just because a person is 98 years old, you cant discount their death. You cant say, Oh, they just died.
Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Michael Scott Davidson contributed to this report.
Originally posted here:
Its really getting bad here: Summerlin nursing home deadliest in Nevada - Las Vegas Review-Journal
- Mudslides triggered by heavy rains kill 8 in northeast India - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2020]
- OSHA reports finding greater compliance with COVID-19 safety rules - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2020]
- Las Vegas Raiders: 4 things to expect from pass catchers in 2020 - Just Blog Baby [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2020]
- Dream of Fight Island set to become reality at UFC 251 - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2020]
- Last call: Las Vegas to shut bars down again Friday night to thwart coronavirus spike - USA TODAY [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2020]
- UNLV researcher explores the Thai American experience via cuisine - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Rovell: Las Vegas Bettor Wagers $600K on 4 UFC 251 Bouts - The Action Network [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Most Wanted in Las Vegas for week of July 5, 2020 - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Nevada's COVID-19 Task Force budgeting to provide thousands of Las Vegas families with internet before school starts - FOX5 Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Sunday might be hottest in 2 years; cooling stations available - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Nevada records more than 1K new COVID-19 cases for just the 2nd time - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2020]
- Las Vegas woman dies after hit by car near Lamb, Tonopah - FOX5 Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2020]
- 'Their fight is our fight': Latinos in Las Vegas join Blacks in seeking end to own injustices - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2020]
- ESPN low on Las Vegas Raiders offensive weapons heading into 2020 - Just Blog Baby [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Number of disappeared in Mexico rises to over 73000 - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Las Vegas heat will near 1939 record by Monday - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- 13 Things To Do This Week In Las Vegas For July 10-16 - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Small businesses around the world struggle to survive - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- WNBA season scheduled to tip off on July 25 - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Masks for kids? Schools confront the politics of reopening - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Las Vegas woman dedicates her time to making masks with clear coverings - KLAS - 8 News Now [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Sorting through UNLV's QB options for 2020 - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Looking to Las Vegas: Why hotels should think like tech companies to survive - PhocusWire [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Dealing with the Las Vegas heat and staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Encore Drive-In Nights brings Blake Shelton concert to West Wind in North Las Vegas - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Las Vegas bar owners react to closing again to prevent the spread of COVID-19 - Eater Vegas [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- French tourism gets boost with reopening of Disneyland Paris - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- At 81, Las Vegas doctor refused to retire. Then he caught COVID-19. - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- Without waiter jobs, what happens to creative New York? - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- Woman accused of killing husband in Ohio arrested in Las Vegas following nationwide search - KLAS - 8 News Now [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- PFF ranks the Las Vegas Raiders wideout near bottom of the NFL - Just Blog Baby [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- 'Their fight is our fight': Latinos in Las Vegas join Blacks in seeking end to injustices - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- Russell Westbrook partied at Wynn before COVID diagnosis - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- Las Vegas' Jaden Hicks commits to Washington State over Penn State, others - The Spokesman-Review [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- Here's What It's Like To Visit Las Vegas During The Coronavirus Pandemic - Benzinga [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- Reality shows shortfalls of Trump's claim to 'best testing' - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2020]
- Money for teachers to buy pencils, crayons on chopping block - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2020]
- 'Unbelievable' Las Vegas car crash that killed baby haunts those investigating - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Trump's trouble in suburbs key to suddenly competitive Ohio - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- No Canada: Blue Jays barred from playing games in Toronto - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Raiders news: Mike Mayock prepared to handle heat of Las Vegas - Silver And Black Pride [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Police: Las Vegas woman reached 121 mph before crash that killed 1-year-old son - WITI FOX 6 Milwaukee [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Nuclear weapons testing hot topic 75 years after test - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Most Wanted in Las Vegas for week of July 12, 2020 - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Palazzo Las Vegas to stop taking weekday reservations - Reno Gazette Journal [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Man accused of beating his dad with rock at east Las Vegas home - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations June 2016 The Cozy ... [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- What Im Reading Now >>> Conrad Allen is a New-to-Me ... [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Trump's team on Capitol Hill as virus aid talks deepen - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Golden Knights trying to simulate playoff action with live scrimmages - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Going in the water again: 'Jaws' boat clone supports sharks - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- US accuses Chinese hackers in targeting of COVID-19 research - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- French blaze: Brothers drop from window, caught by rescuers - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Betting on Live Music's Return: As Las Vegas Reopens, the Whole Fan Experience Is Being Tested - Billboard [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- More rain on the way? Lightning animates sky above Las Vegas early Monday - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas breaking news for July 22, 2020 - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas ghost kitchens conceived before the COVID-19 pandemic - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Red Flag Warning: Weather conditions pose elevated fire danger in the Las Vegas area - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Crushing the dreams and ambitions of immigrants is un-American - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Breaking News Blog Las Vegas breaking news for July 22, 2020 5:35 AM, Jul 22 - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Parents charged with murder in crash that killed 1-year-old boy - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- 2 arrested in connection with fatal shooting in west Las Vegas valley - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Man accused of damaging RTC bus after being told to wear mask, police say - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas blues and soul performer Bobby Jonz dies of Covid-19 at age 84 - KLAS - 8 News Now [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas police searching for truck after shots fired on the Strip - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Vegas broadcaster Bart Torres of Highway Vibe dies at 54 - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Nevada ties daily record with 28 more reported COVID-19 deaths - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas event to address COVID-19 response and Vegas economy - KTNV Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas Local Breaking News, Headlines | fox5vegas.com [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas Strip: The 15 attractions you must see | CNN Travel [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Las Vegas Vacation Packages from $134 - Search Flight ... [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- fox5vegas.com | FOX5 Local. Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Coronavirus Update From City of Las Vegas [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Teaching community steps up to help Las Vegas teacher who needs a new heart - KLAS - 8 News Now [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- China launches ambitious attempt to land rover on Mars - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- MLB, players agree to expand playoffs to 16 teams - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- These young Las Vegas activists are helping a movement maintain momentum - Las Vegas Weekly [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Portland standoff with US agents ongoing after mayor gassed - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Las Vegas' WNBA team has a few Aces up its sleeve - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Mandatory masks becoming the rule amid Europe's virus uptick - Las Vegas Sun [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]