By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Jay Griffith was mourning the loss of his father who died Thursday morning in a Perrysburg long-term care facility. Later in the day, the feeling of grief was replaced by anger when Griffith found out there were as many as 15 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in the nursing home where his father died.
Griffith does not blame his father’s death on the virus. But he does question the facility’s unwillingness to reveal the incidence of COVID-19 in the home, and the policy that allowed family members – including Griffith’s 82-year-old mom – to visit with no more than a “50-cent paper mask” for protection.
“Like my father, I don’t shy away from a fight. It’s in my DNA,” he said. “If there’s a wrong, you’ve got to expose it.”
Edwin Griffith, 83, from the Luckey area, was an engineer. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards, and spending time with grandchildren.
“Facts and ethics were very important to my father,” Jay Griffith said.
And the son feels both were lacking recently from Kingston Residence of Perrysburg, where his father had lived for the past year.
But Kingston CEO and President George Rumman said the Perrysburg facility is following all the coronavirus requirements for long-term care facilities.
“We follow all the guidelines,” Rumman said. “It’s really a tough virus to deal with.”
“We’re a high-risk population. This virus will come into any place, regardless” of preventative measures, he said.
Any residents who exhibit symptoms are isolated, he said.
“You have to be on guard all the time,” Rumman said. “We are constantly on the lookout.”
On Wednesday the Ohio Department of Health issued an order requiring all nursing homes and residential care facilities in Ohio to notify residents and their guardians of positive or probable COVID-19 cases in the facility. The order includes cases involving residents and staff members.
The facilities are required to make notifications within 24 hours after the cases become known. The sites are also required to report on the steps being taken by the facility to reduce the spread of the virus.
On Thursday, the first numbers were released from long-term care facilities across the state. While the state’s listing only showed two cases of COVID-19 at Kingston Residence in Perrysburg, the Wood County Health Department’s stats showed 15 confirmed and probable cases at the facility. There is no clear reason for the initial disparity in the numbers.
The only other nursing home facility in Wood County to have COVID-19 cases as of Thursday was Manor at Perrysburg, which was listed as having 16, according to the county health department.
The Wood County Health Department is working closely with local nursing home facilities – making sure they have the necessary personal protective equipment, limiting staff in rooms to reduce exposure, and monitoring employees and residents for symptoms.
According to Rumman, Kingston Residence in Perrysburg just got notification of 11 positive COVID-19 residents late Friday morning.
“We are in the midst of contacting all the families,” he said. “This is really, really very difficult for residents and their families.”
Though the state did not order facilities to notify everyone in nursing homes until this week, Griffith feels that lack of transparency put others at risk.
“If we don’t know, we can’t make good decisions,” he said.
Griffith said even once the new reporting requirement went into effect this week, the management at Kingston refused to tell him if COVID cases existed in the memory wing, where his dad was living and where his mom was allowed to visit during the last days.
“My feeling is that since they are unwilling to tell families who are at risk, that everyone there is at high risk,” Griffith said. “That’s a significant risk they put our family through.”
Ohio nursing homes are no longer allowed to accept visitors, according to orders from Gov. Mike DeWine. But there is one exception – for patients reaching the end of their lives.
“Obviously, that would be heartless not to allow this,” Rumman said.
Rumman defended the facility’s requirement that visitors wear paper masks, but take no other safety measures.
“I think the precautions are really adequate,” he said.
Rumman insisted Kingston is meeting guidelines for long-term care facilities.
“We are following all the recommendations and requirements by the governor and Ohio Department of Health,” he said.
“Every family was notified” if they were directly affected, Rumman said. After the first cases were reported, he said Kingston is not required to notify families again if additional people test positive for the virus.
Rumman said Kingston wants to do more testing of residents – but getting the tests has proven to be quite difficult.
“The more testing we can do, the better we can manage this highly contagious virus,” he said. “We are trying to assess who we need to test more, so we can limit the spread.”
Rumman credited the staff at Kingston for doing a great job with residents at a challenging time.
“They are our heroes,” he said. “This is a very tough situation.”
The Griffith family understands these are painful times. They will bury their patriarch on Saturday in Troy Township Cemetery.
“We’ll all be wearing face masks and social distancing,” Jay Griffith said.
