7 SLO County nursing home residents test positive for COVID-19 after hospice patient dies
Seven residents and two staff members at a skilled nursing facility in Templeton had tested positive for coronavirus as of Wednesday.
All Vineyard Hills Health Center residents and staff were tested for COVID-19 after a hospitalized resident tested positive for coronavirus last week, according to parent company Compass Health, which owns all seven skilled nursing facilities in the county.
The hospitalized resident had a history of “severe and chronic respiratory problems,” a Compass Health news release said, and had been in and out of the hospital multiple times recently.
The person had tested negative for coronavirus as recently as July 6, according to the release.
The resident returned to Vineyard Hills on hospice care before dying while COVID-19 positive on July 17.
Compass Health said although the resident had tested positive for coronavirus, their underlying health conditions likely were the main cause of death.
“While the likelihood COVID-19 played a role in the passing of this resident is doubtful, they were in fact COVID-19 positive when they passed,” the company said in the release. “Nonetheless, we lost one of our beloved residents and they will be missed by their family, friends and our staff.”
Through widespread testing, the facility found that seven additional residents and two staff members were positive for COVID-19. the Compass Health news release said.
Residents at residential living facilities around the county have tested positive for coronavirus over the last four months, but the Vineyard Hills cases are the first instances of positive cases among residents at a local skilled nursing facility.
The death of the Vineyard Hills resident marks the first local death of a skilled nursing facility resident who was coronavirus positive.
As of Wednesday morning, the seven residents who are currently positive are all showing mild coronavirus symptoms, according to the release.
A wing of Vineyard Hills Health Center has been isolated and designated to care for all the COVID-19 positive patients, according to the release. The care facility will also test all residents and staff weekly until there are no longer any positive results among those who live and work at the facility.
“This is the sobering reality of how easily this virus can spread, even while taking extensive precautions,” Compass Health CEO Darren Smith said in the release. “It is a reminder that we all need to do our part in limiting its spread in our community.”
In April, two employees at Vineyard Hills Health Center tested positive for coronavirus. And another Compass Health employee tested positive at Danish Care Center in Atascadero in May.
When asked last week about coronavirus cases in skilled nursing facilities, Smith had told The Tribune via email that because of increasing case counts within the community, skilled nursing facilities face daily challenges with keeping residents safe.
“It has become clear, based on our communities lack of vigilance, all care providers are going to battle this virus for many months to come,” Smith wrote Sunday. “We are experiencing daily issues with staff coming to management with COVID positive contact concerns.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 11:39 AM.
