Retirement homes step up COVID-19 counter-measures following Palms outbreak

Jun 08, 2020 News

An outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus at the Palms has caused a number of other geriatric facilities to beef up their counter measures.

Retirement homes beef up COVID-19 counter- measures following Palms outbreak

Kaieteur News spoke to representatives from a few retirement homes who shared the steps taken to protect resident in light of the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
Bonita Moore, Administrator of Uncle Eddie’s Home in Tucville noted that the retirement home has been under strict observation ever since Guyana reported its first case.
Moore noted however that ever since the outbreak at the Palms, the home has been in constant contact with the Ministry of Public Health, (MoPH) to ensure that its 20 plus residents remain free of the virus.
“All residents have been restricted from leaving the home as well as visitors restricted from coming here. Prior to the situation with the Palms, we had already started implementing the certain counter measures.
“We have set up a sink outside for our staff and have been observing the guidelines on social distancing and personal hygiene,” she said.
According to Moore, since the situation at the Palms, the home has been the recipient of a number of donations.
“We received a number Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE) and sanitization products and even a temperature machine. So our staff has the adequate mask and gloves to function on a daily basis.”
Further, she said the MoPH has been sending a medical team to check on the residents.
The COVID-19 Unit has also been conducting a regular sanitation exercises at the facility. We also stay in constant contact with the Public Health Ministry to ensure that no one here is affected by the virus.
Similarly, Kella Ramsaroop of the Dharm Shala (Elderly Shelter) in Albouystown told Kaieteur News that the MoPH has been offering support to them throughout the pandemic.
According to her, the gates of the Dharm Shala remain closed.
“We have restricted visits to the home and our residents stay behind closed doors to keep safe. We are following strictly the guidelines of the Ministry of Public Health since we have some of the most vulnerable group to protect.
“We ensure they get their meals and have access to the television and radio, so they don’t need to leave for anything.”
According to Ramsaroop, the surroundings of the Dharm Shala are santised regularly.
“We also encourage the staff and residents to wear masks.”
She said nonetheless that the restrictions have proven difficult for a few residents who opted to leave the home.
“We have three persons that left because they were no longer allowed to go and come back as they like.”
Meanwhile, a female representative of Byers Senior Citizens Home on Robb Street told this newspaper the MoPH conducted COVID -19 tests on the twelve elderly occupants
The Byers Home staffer explained too that the home is regularly sanitized,
With the advent of COVID -19, the MoPH has issued several warnings of how the public should protect themselves against the spread of the disease. The MoPH had also identified the elderly among the most vulnerable to contract the disease.
Unfortunately, in late April, the Ministry reported that the Palms Elderly Home had its first case and the patient subsequently died.
The Palms was placed under lockdown with several members and residents in quarantine while some were placed in isolation.
But in a matter of weeks, six more residents, all female, were added to the Palms Geriatric Home’s record of COVID-19 cases.
There have since been two deaths at the geriatric home.

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