One family's coronavirus nightmare at a Seattle-area nursing home shows how the nursing home industry could struggle to keep people safe
Lindsey Wasson / Reuters
The Life Care Center of Kirkland, a nursing home near Seattle, Washington, has been hit extremely hard by the coronavirus in the US.
At one point, the home accounted for 60% of the US virus death toll by itself.
Elderly patients were isolated, and worried families had to communicate on mobile phones, while watching through windows.
As of March 21, 35 deaths from the coronavirus were linked to the center.
A US nursing home's struggle to contain the coronavirus shows the difficulties nursing homes face during the global pandemic.
In late February and for most of March, coronavirus cases spread through the elderly population at The Life Care Center of Kirkland. At one point, the home in Washington-state accounted for 60% of the US virus death toll by itself.
Inside, elderly patients were isolated in their rooms, unable to take showers or receive visitors. Outside, worried relatives look through windows, and talk to their loved ones on mobile phones.
By March 10, up to one-third of its 180 staff members were under quarantine. By March 21, 35 deaths were linked to the center.
In the last few days, some of the patients have left the center after recovering.
It's not the only nursing home to face a rapid spread of the coronavirus. In New Jersey, 94 residents in a care center are presumed to have the coronavirus after 24 people tested positive, Business Insider's Kelly McLaughlin reported.
Globally, the coronavirus has now infected 529,093 people and killed 23,956 people.
Here's what it was like inside the Life Care Center of Kirkland, in photos.
In a suburb to the northeast of Seattle, an unremarkable looking nursing home called Life Care Center of Kirkland, which housed about 120 residents monitored by 180 staff, became the United States' coronavirus epicenter earlier in March.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Sources: Business Insider, Wall Street Journal
Last year in April, health inspectors found the facility had failed to take the necessary precautions to prevent infections from spreading. But it was a one-off in recent years, and other nursing homes were cited more. For overall care, it was given five out of five stars.
David Ryder / Reuters
Sources: The Seattle Times, The New York Times
Nursing homes are a prime place for a virus outbreak — the coronavirus spreads by droplets, and nursing homes are filled with the elderly in close quarters. They can have weak immune systems, and underlying health conditions, making them susceptible. There's also no vaccine yet.
Lindsey Wasson / Reuters
Sources: Kirkland Reporter, Business Insider, Reuters
Kirkland's struggle is a symptom of what could be a far broader struggle for nursing homes in the coming months. Even without the coronavirus, Reuters reported federal data showed nursing home patients got up to 3.8 million serious infections annually, causing up to 380,000 deaths.
Lindsey Wasson / Reuters
Source: Reuters
While Kirkland was an example, health experts warn that nursing homes, in general, are vulnerable. This is not just because of the elderly and ill, but also because some may have breached health regulations.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: The Seattle Times
A recent instance of the virus spreading at a nursing home is in New Jersey. On March 27, 94 residents in St. Joseph's Senior Home in Woodbridge are now all presumed to be infected with the coronavirus after 24 residents tested positive. It was evacuated because of a lack of staff.
Stefan Jeremiah / Reuters
Source: Business Insider
But Kirkland's coronavirus struggle began back on February 19, when the first patient from the care center was transferred to a nearby hospital. They were later confirmed to have the coronavirus.
Elaine Thompson / AP
Source: Bellevue Reporter
A week later, on February 26, 81-year-old Judie Shape was dropped off by her daughter Lori Spencer. Shape had just had surgery to remove a blood clot and she had a stomach infection. She could not walk. The plan was she would return to her retirement community once she could move. According to Reuters, Spencer had "an uneasy feeling." But she had no idea there were cases of coronavirus at the center.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: Reuters
On February 27, Kirkland fire fighters responded to more than a dozen calls about struggling patients. People started to notice. Kirkland firefighter Darren DeBore told The Wall Street Journal, "It started to raise a flag. There's something going on," he said.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: Wall Street Journal
That same day, Shape begged her daughter to let her leave the center. She threw an "uncharacteristic tantrum," according to Reuters. Spencer was going to relent and move her out but a nurse calmed her down. Shape didn't leave.
Brian Snyder / Reuters
Source: Reuters
Three days later, the center announced one of its patients had tested positive for the coronavirus. Spencer told Reuters: "By then it was too late. We couldn't move her. She was suddenly a prisoner there."
Lindsey Wasson / Reuters
Source: Reuters
In late February and early March, pressure on the facility grew as families demanded information. According to The New York Times, "people's temperatures started going off the charts. Some could not breathe." At that point, none of the patients in the facility were being tested for the coronavirus.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Sources: The Seattle Times, The New York Times
Visitors were no longer allowed inside. Families began to monitor their loved ones by looking through the windows. Employees started covering themselves with gowns and masks, too.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: The Seattle Times
The relatives talking to their loved ones through glass doors, were "like jailhouse visitors," according to The New York Times. And they were worried it could be months before they could hug their relatives again.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: The New York Times
Patients were isolated in their rooms and were unable to have showers, since the rooms didn't have showers. Cathleen Lombard, a nurse, told The Seattle Times that some residents were having emotional problems, while others were struggling with their dementia. This is Judie Shape walking in her room in the evening.
David Ryder / Reuters
Sources: The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times
Families of those in the care home demanded that every resident be tested for the coronavirus, but it didn't happen instantly. It wasn't until March 4 that officials said everyone would be tested.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Sources: Komo News, The Seattle Times
By March 5, a federal disaster response team had been brought in. But still, problems arose. One woman, Pat Herrick, got a call saying that her mother had died. Later a second call said she was actually fine.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: The Seattle Times
The number of cases increased. By March 7, 26 people had died with some connection to the nursing home. This included 13 people who died in hospitals, and who were confirmed to have the coronavirus. In a typical month, the nursing home had between 3 and 7 deaths.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: Bellevue Reporter
That same day, more than 60 of the 180 staff were unable to work because they were displaying coronavirus symptoms.
Brian Snyder / Reuters
Source: Reuters
As demand for information grew, Tim Killian, a spokesman for the center, gave a public briefing on March 7 as well, which became daily.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Sources: The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times
He said 26 residents had died since February 19, and 70 of the 180 staff members were displaying symptoms.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Sources: The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times
Killian mentioned the quickness of one coronavirus case. He said: "We have seen as little as one hour from somebody exhibiting no symptoms, going to symptoms that were severe enough they needed to be transferred to a hospital, and then within a short amount of time that patient dying."
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: The Seattle Times
By March 8, there were only 55 residents of the original 120 still at the care center. Shape was tested for the coronavirus on this day.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Sources: The Seattle Times, Reuters
Protective gear arrived by the box load. They were provided by public agencies.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: The Seattle Times
The disaster recovery team was kitted up in protective suits and respirators.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Here, they enter the facility on March 11 to do a thorough clean. At this point, the total number of confirmed cases had reached 63. According to The New York Times, the high number of workers diagnosed with the coronavirus meant it was likely the deep cleans came too late.
Ted S. Warren /AP
Sources: The Seattle Times, The New York Times
On March 10, Shape woke up with a headache and a runny nose. She called the nurses station and was told she had tested positive for the coronavirus, but no one had called to tell her.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: Reuters
On March 12, Killian said people could leave the center. But it wasn't that easy. Hospitals wouldn't accept anyone except those showing acute symptoms, and other healthcare centers didn't want to bring in possibly infected patients.
Jason Redmond / Reuters
Source: Reuters
Outside, those who couldn't get in did what they could. The woman in this photo, Tricia LaVoice, provided staff with coffee and doughnuts. She then tied blue bows and flowers on trees in front of the center, so residents had something pretty to look at.
Ted S. Warren / AP
Source: The Seattle Times
Servpro workers continued to clean the nursing center. This photo shows them entering to clean for the third day on March 13. By this point, there were still 44 residents and 26 had tested positive for the coronavirus, with up to another nine more with test resulting coming.
Lindsey Wasson / Reuters
Source: Reuters
Tents were erected. By March 21, 35 people connected to the center had died from the coronavirus.
Jason Redmond / Reuters
Source: The New York Times
Debbie de los Angeles's mother Twilla Morin was one of the 35 people from the center who died from the coronavirus. Here, she holds a photograph of her mother.
Brian Snyder / Reuters
On March 17, Shape gave the "peace sign" to the press as she spoke with her children. According to Reuters, although she wasn't sleeping well, she was doing her best to keep positive and her symptoms hadn't been too severe.
Jason Redmond / Reuters
Source: Reuters
Shape wasn't the only one receiving guests. On March 21, doughnuts were delivered by Carmen Gray to her 76-year-old mother Susan Hailey.
David Ryder / Reuterr
Despite all that had happened at the care center family members were keeping the residents' spirits up.
David Ryder / Reuters
Things improved even more. On March 24, a 90-year-old patient named Geneva Wood, who was from the center, recovered from the coronavirus. Here, she's leaving the Harborview Medical Center after recovering.
David Ryder / Reuters
Later that day, Wood's feet were up at her son's home while he got the coffee ready.
David Ryder / Reuters
On March 26, Shape left the nursing home. She appeared to have recovered, despite her stomach infection and surgery. Although results hadn't come in at that point. Spencer, her daughter, told US News: "She's a survivor."
David Ryder / Reuters
Source: US News
Before she left she laid a wreath at the center's entrance. She might have improved, but what happened at the center showed how quickly the coronavirus can move through a nursing home. As Jim Whitney from the Redmond Fire Department told The New York Times: "This caught them completely off guard. They just were not prepared for what was happening. None of us were."
David Ryder / Reuters
Source: The New York Times
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