Annandale Healthcare Center hasn’t had hot water for a week
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| The Annandale Healthcare Center is on Columbia Pike in Annandale across from Mason District Park. |
Despite the attention from the media and Rep. Gerry Connolly and the hiring of a new executive director, Marie Nadora, conditions at the Annandale Healthcare Center have not improved.
In fact, there are indications that conditions at this nursing home, the site of one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Virginia, are actually getting worse.
A resident, whom we’re calling Angela, reports that there hasn’t been any hot water on the East or North wings since Nov. 12. She doesn’t know if other parts of the facility have hot water, as she hasn’t been able to get out of her room.
Without hot water, she worries how staff are able to thoroughly wash their hands or disinfect the facility to curb the spread of COVID. She reported the problem several times to no avail.
John Silcox, communications director of the Fairfax County Health Department told the Annandale Blog on Nov. 17 that he “notified our public health nurse liaisons who work with our local long-term care facilities on the COVID-19 response and they connected with the facility. We’ve confirmed that the hot water has been restored.”
Angela reported on Nov. 19, however, that she still didn’t have hot water in her room, “except for about five minutes at 8 a.m. and that’s it.” A maintenance worker came by but didn’t fix it, she said.
Related story: Rep. Connolly calls for government to address deficiencies at COVID-ridden Annandale Healthcare Center
She had been washing up and washing her hair in the sink in the bathroom in her room, but “the water is so cold you can’t do that.” She refuses to use the shared shower across the hall because “they put everybody in there. These people aren’t healthy. No one takes a shower unless it’s a resident who’s in bed all the time and craps on themselves.”
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require nursing homes to have hot water to prevent the transmission of Legionnaires disease.
There have been three additional COVID cases in the past three months that haven’t been reported to public health authorities, Angela charges, including a staff member, a resident, and most recently, an employee who works in the dialysis department.
The most recent case led to COVID testing for all residents, and staff began being more conscientious about wearing masks, face shields, and gloves. Previously, nursing assistants and staff delivering meals to patients’ rooms didn’t regularly wear masks.
Residents are hanging out in the hallways not wearing masks, however, and the staff isn’t doing anything about it, Angela says. She would like to walk in the hall but “the idiot next door is there all the time coughing with no mask.”
Related story: Annandale Healthcare Center failed to tell patients’ families about its huge COVID outbreak
She also says there has been no housekeeping or trash pick-up from residents’ rooms for the past three days. Residents lost internet access all weekend and cable access disappeared for several days. That’s important because there isn’t a whole lot to do as activities have been canceled during the pandemic.
Angela hasn’t been outdoors or had physical therapy since before the lockdown. She also can’t get any fresh air since the window won’t open.
Angela also complains that the pillows in the room she shares with a roommate are falling apart with the stuffing coming out. “Staff said it was happening everywhere, but again no one cares. Where is our money going?”
There is to be NO holiday party there this season.
Nothing.
Nada.
This place is effectively a prison with imminent death for these vulnerable seniors! Where is the concern and action from anyone other than Congressman Gerry Connolly? Not a word from Supervisor Penny Gross, Congressman Don Beyer, Delegate Vivian E. Watts, Delegate Kaye Kory, Senator Dick Saslaw, …! There needs to be a serious intervention here, NOW!
Excellent reporting on an important local issue. Keep up the pressure.
Agreed – excellent reporting, as always.
I agree. We can contact them ourselves.
Penny Gross can be reached at: [email protected]
Dick Saslaw: [email protected]
https://beyer.house.gov/forms/writeyourrep
[email protected]
[email protected]
–kda
It just keeps getting worse, doesn't it? I heard a commercial for this dump on WTOP one morning a few weeks ago. I couldn't believe they were trying to get new residents. This place needs to be SHUT DOWN!
Like trump said shit hole this place is a fucking death trap they are so suspect in this place needs a shut down right away sheesh
It truly is heart-warming to read about the staff that is working so hard,
even in such difficult conditions,
and the services this place provides, even in these very ungrateful times.
Keep up the good work!
Are you being sarcastic, or did you get paid to write this?
It is these exact workers who brought this contamination from their ghetto lifestyles and passed it around the vacuum of a nursing home. Then it was Game Over.
This comment is from one of those worthless employees that run from nursing home to nursing home doing nothing buy collecting a pay check to send back to their shit hole.
What exactly does it take to close and move the residents to a safe location and close this hell-hole? The management of this super-spreader location should be hauled directly into jail. A society is judged by how it treats its aged population. These people fought for us, made contributions to our country and community – they are mothers and fathers! We should treasure these people – not watch while they suffer and die alone! This is beyond a shame – this is criminal! The government should act immediately. I'm sure if a relative of some government official was in this or similar location some changes would be taken sooner!
Teresa Grant(Directorof nursing) is she still there? If she is that shows corporate doesn't really care about the residents.
So yeah I was supposed to see Mom again for Thanksgiving, but yeah she's gone forever because staff doesn't want to remain clean, doesn't truly care for patients and just want an easy paycheck. Even though I couldn't have taken her anywhere I could at least have talked to her on the phone and seen her from the window.
Now she is safe from all of the improper care given and the apathy from workers. Switch roles for a minute. Would you want me to take good care of you if needed or just leave you for dead. What goes in the mind of these workers. They even called to tell me the found my moms TV. Who wants the TV now? What is my mom. This is her first Thanksgiving in 75 years…well…6 feet under. I have to hold my anger but YES…you need to care in there or FIND ANOTHER JOB.
I am so sorry for your losses my heart goes out to you all, my brother is a resident at Annandale health care for years he was also tested positive with Covid19, I thank God every day for his life and I can honestly say they do have a few GREAT nursing staffs working there I can only speak for the North unit that my brother is on especially the 3 o'clock evening staff they are some very caring and passionate people like the nurse Yousuf I hope I spelled his name right and also Schaefer she always go above and beyond with her patients to make them feel loved, I just wanted to put it out there they do have a few GREAT nurses there that really care for your love ones not many but a few.
I don't understand the Administrator and the assistant administrator is gone, but Director of nursing( Teresa Grant) the person that was supposedly reporting to the ED and AED regarding the residents medical status is still there, she should have been the FIRST TO GO, because they get the residents status from her, that's the job of the director of nursing to let those know.
Get this I was told from the new director that she has complete confidence in the director of nursing. We are doomed
She transferred from a Communicare building in Maryland called Bel Pre Healthcare that also has bad reviews go check it out some of the issues we are having here.
So who is ready to speak out against them?
A robo call went out yesterday stating that another member of the staff has tested positive for the virus. Now we are being retested for a month. On top of that an ambulance has been showing up here every day since the Monday before Thanksgiving, most recent was this morning at around 2am. Makes you think de je vu fromApril