Nursing Homes. The bodies are just pilling up.

[xanderx]

I just read an article about a New Jersey nursing home that was storing a body in the shed, and when police arrived they discovered 17 bodies in a small morgue meant for 4 bodies. All around my state I keep hearing all residents and staff positive along with several deaths at each facility already. Mind you this isn't in the news! LTC/CCRC are a small community and word gets out. When did the generation that helped build this country become to expendable? Yes, us LTC nurse might not be on the front line, but we are fighting a silent battle, and no one can hear us. The amazing nurses who are on the front line can barely get proper PPE . So how can we? Imagine the virus coming into your home. Thats what it is like for these residents. We are their salvation, but might also be their end....Stay strong everyone!!

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

8 hours ago, xanderx said:

I just read an article about a New Jersey nursing home that was storing a body in the shed, and when police arrived they discovered 17 bodies in a small morgue meant for 4 bodies. All around my state I keep hearing all residents and staff positive along with several deaths at each facility already. Mind you this isn't in the news!

In all fairness, I think it is in the news (I mean, you read an article about it). I'm not sure which article you read, but I just saw it in the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/nyregion/coronavirus-nj-andover-nursing-home-deaths.html

I read stories every day about the virus devastating nursing homes. It might just feel like it isn't getting as much coverage because there are so many awful things happening right now. I've been reading about hospitals storing bodies in refrigerated 18-wheelers, people in NYC being buried in mass graves, and decomposing bodies laying out in the streets in Ecuador; I just sort of assumed that nursing homes were probably struggling with the storage and burial of bodies as well.

As you mentioned, the saddest part to me is that these populations are especially vulnerable, and can't feel safe in their own homes. Also, given the outpouring of support for hospital workers, people should also be sharing the love with employees at LTC facilities, too.

[A Hit With The Ladies, BSN, RN]

I hate to say this, but isn't the point of a nursing home to store very old people until they die anyway? ?

[historylady, MSN, RN]

Sorry to say but death is part of life. I don't think that anybody is disrespecting or ignoring the LTC population. Two things that you must remember. 1st, the news media business is to sell news. They can take one small thing and blow it out of proportion in order to sell news. Second, people are dying and that is a fact. People are doing the best they can to provide good after death care, but like many parts of the healthcare system, after death care is taxed. Large number of deaths in any emergency situation, often results in more time and money being spent on the living rather than the dead.

[xanderx]

6 minutes ago, A Hit With The Ladies said:

I hate to say this, but isn't the point of a nursing home to store very old people until they die anyway? ?

And that means they should die before their time, and no it’s not a place to STORE them. They aren’t furniture.

[A Hit With The Ladies, BSN, RN]

Who determines what their time is?

The cold, hard truth is that we live in a world of finite resources, and the 95 year-old who isn't going to survive being intubated even if there were no Coronavirus would probably meet their end because of the flu or a heart condition or so many other things. We can only do so much, but at a certain point we have to be pragmatic when triaging resources.

And I think nursing homes essentially are places to store them. Their kids can't or won't take care of them, they are generally too frail or sick to care for themselves, and a nursing home exists so they can live out their final days in relative safety.

[xanderx]

40 minutes ago, A Hit With The Ladies said:

Who determines what their time is?

The cold, hard truth is that we live in a world of finite resources, and the 95 year-old who isn't going to survive being intubated even if there were no Coronavirus would probably meet their end because of the flu or a heart condition or so many other things. We can only do so much, but at a certain point we have to be pragmatic when triaging resources.

And I think nursing homes essentially are places to store them. Their kids can't or won't take care of them, they are generally too frail or sick to care for themselves, and a nursing home exists so they can live out their final days in relative safety.

I’m the first one to say we have triage and of course we will save the 20 year old over the 95 year old who has a DNR, but it’s does mean we just thrown them to the waste line, and please stop saying “Store them!” What an awful word to use.

[MarkMyWords]

A crass and totally insensitive comment, especially from health profs. If you ever reach 90 or your parents you won't feel that way! No it is not a place to store them, like antiques. My mother did not feel that way. That sort of attitude can lead to neglect, abuse and apathy. Some nursing home/rehab residents are intelligent but physically incapable of doing much.

[xanderx]

Thank you! I can’t believe two nurse actually said “store”! My mind was blown !

[NurseBubbles]

We don't "store" people until they die. Keep in mind some LTC residents are much younger but physically unable to care for themselves. They aren't all just there waiting to die.

[A Hit With The Ladies, BSN, RN]

Well, where else would they be in society?

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

I am in central Connecticut and it is most definitely in the news here. I live in a town that happens to have several nursing homes and unfortunately Covid has swept through them. The nurses working there are certainly being remembered by the public— it is hard to have enough air time on the news for every single segment of essential workers. Thank you for doing the hard work, even if you are feeling overwhelmed!