By Steve Moran
We rarely do much with press releases, which we do like to get. There are two reasons for this:
- They are mostly news items and we are not a news site.
- The topics are frequently covered in other places and we hate being redundant.
I got this from AHCA/NCAL and it is too good not to share. While there is still more bad news than good news in the public media, the tide is changing. While there have been some real tragedies and horrific stories, most senior living communities, most nursing homes are doing a heroic job of saving lives and keeping residents and team members safe.
Here is their press release:
Long term care (LTC) providers have taken unprecedented steps to keep residents and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the most vulnerable citizens to this virus are in nursing homes and assisted living communities. But thanks to the heroic work of caregivers, the majority of those who have been infected have made a full recovery.
Survivors include people who have lived through the 1918 Pandemic, served heroically in World War II, and celebrated their 100th birthday.
LTC providers can ensure that more residents and staff remain healthy if they can get the resources they need. Unfortunately, many facilities still lack adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), broad access to testing, and staffing support. They are calling on federal and state governments to step up and help.
If the country can rally around our seniors and caregivers, more positive outcomes will occur. It’s time to make them a priority and give them the support they need.
Recovery stories have started making recent headlines:
WWII Veteran Recovers from Coronavirus Just in Time for 104th Birthday: “I Made It”
A ‘resilient’ 104-year-old man who lived through the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, and World War II has now recovered from the coronavirus . . . William “Bill” Lapschies contracted the virus . . . but as of this week, he is considered recovered from COVID-19.
At his 104th birthday party, KOIN asked Lapschies how he felt to reach that milestone. ‘Pretty good. I made it,’ Lapschies said. He then paused and added, ‘Good for a few more.’
‘As of Tuesday, 26 residents have recovered and eight staff members have recovered and returned to work,’ said Geoff Thompson, a spokesperson for the company that operates Brockton Health Center. ‘We expect by the end of this coming weekend we should have a very high number of residents cleared and who are COVID-free,’ Thompson said. ‘Fingers crossed, hopefully we’ve turned a corner.’”
101-Year-Old with ‘Superhuman DNA’ Who Dodged 1918 Flu Survives Coronavirus
A 101-year-old upstate New York woman with ‘superhuman DNA’ not only beat the coronavirus but knocked out cancer and lived through the 1918 Spanish flu. Angelina Friedman, a resident at a Mohegan Lake nursing home, tested positive for the COVID-19 bug last month but licked the deadly global pandemic last week – a feat that didn’t entirely surprise her family.
10 Residents Recover from COVID-19 Outbreak in Ann Arbor Senior Home
‘Residents of an Ann Arbor senior living facility that had a COVID-19 outbreak in early April have recovered,’ facility officials said. ‘Ten residents are no longer ill from the novel coronavirus,’ officials at Glacier Hills said on Tuesday, April 21.
Patient Recovers from COVID-19 Returns to Shelbina Nursing Home
In Shelbina, Missouri, there are no reported COVID-19 cases inside the Salt River Community Care skilled nursing facility. But, that wasn’t the case last month . . . Administrator Chris Ratliff said a resident was diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized . . . She said that the resident made a full recovery and is now back at the nursing home.
Two Residents, Two Staff Members Recover from COVID-19 at Treyton Oak Towers
Coronavirus patients have started to recover at one of Kentucky’s hardest-hit nursing homes. Four people from Treyton Oak Towers in Louisville have now returned to the facility.
