While negative articles are far outside of my range of work, my heart is completely in pieces as I share this story with you about how my grandmother’s life has been put on the line by members of a nursing home in order for them to hide awful news from the outside world. 

First, I think it’s necessary to inform you of the condition of my grandmother. Her name is Louisa, but her 10 grandchildren call her Lela. She is 76 years old. She is the root of a HUGE family tree. A few years ago, she developed dementia and she also has diabetes and asthma. Lela has always been a bold person with many emotions but since getting sick, her moods change easily. She has difficulty walking and is no longer able to take care of herself. Toward the end of last year, Lela began staying at a nursing home in Jersey City. My family was there every single day to feed her dinner, brighten her day, comfort her and tuck her into bed. We took the best care of my grandmother in the midst of all of our hectic lives. 

We brought her food that our family cooked or bought, and made sure that we could put a smile on her face everyday. All we asked was for the nursing home to give her the care she needed during that short amount of time during the day that we could not be there and they failed miserably. 

Around the middle of March, a nursing home in Jersey City Heights shared the news with my aunt that they would have their facilities on lockdown because of the COVID-19 outbreak. My family was devastated, especially my grandfather who visited Lela every single day as well. But, we all knew that this lockdown was in the best interest of my grandmother and the rest of the patients at the nursing home. My aunt was in constant contact with the staff at the nursing home because there had been many instances of neglect prior to this pandemic. Before this lockdown, my grandmother was well taken care of by my family even though she was in the nursing home. Only a little over a week into the lockdown, the nursing home employees had told my aunt that Lela was not eating, which was not something that they hadn’t informed us of before this lockdown (she was not fond of the food there). Later, they told my aunt that she was having constant vomiting and diarrhea and that she had developed a fever. We knew that these could be symptoms of COVID-19 and we are also assuming that the licensed nurses and people in the medical practice that were taking care of my grandmother knew this, too. But, to our understanding, there were no cases in Lela’s nursing home. As soon as she received news of Lela experiencing these symptoms, my aunt asked if there were any infected people that had been in the nursing home and then the nurse on the phone had told her yes. It is so disturbing that despite the hundreds of ill people that are in the care of the nursing home, they chose to hide this information with us until we finally asked out of curiosity. Two medical professionals that were in very close contact with the patients had COVID-19 and the nursing home did not tell anyone. They did not tell my family when they were letting my aunt know that my grandmother was not feeling well. My family had to go out of their way and ask. 

After about one day of my grandmother being sick, they called the ambulance and she was sent to a Jersey City hospital. She was there completely by herself. They discharged her after one day. My aunt asked if it was okay for the ambulance to send Lela to her house where she would be safe from the virus. The nursing home and doctors in the hospital did not deny my aunt’s request. Once my grandmother arrived at my aunt’s house, she was scared and extremely nervous. She hadn’t seen my family in weeks. After a few hours, she developed a fever again and was experiencing the symptoms that she had experienced in the nursing home and in the hospital. My aunt called the ambulance again and she returned to Medical Center. When the doctors finally suggested that they test her, her results came back. Lela tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be put on a ventilator because there aren’t any available. 

The secrecy that the nursing home has is beyond anything that I can fathom. It is so disturbing to think about how much power they have to do good things for people and our community that they do not use. I also do not understand why the hospital discharged my grandmother when she was clearly still ill and was exhibiting multiple signs of COVID-19. 

Bashing healthcare facilities and health professionals will not bring Lela to good health and it will not heal my family of their heavy hearts, but it will raise awareness and hopefully evoke change and more cautiousness. My grandmother was ill before this virus. She has no control of her emotions and surroundings. She is in her hospital bed alone without the comfort that she needs and deserves. Before she fell ill, she took care of everyone, family or not. She saw every ounce of goodness in even the wickedest of people. She gave so much to the people around her and there is nothing that we can do for her right now. Her life lies in the hands of the medical professionals around her who have, at times, neglected her. Her health is dependent on you.  If the roles were reversed, the elderly would do everything in their power to protect their youth. It is so important that we do not neglect those that have raised us and nurtured us. 

Use every opportunity that you can to do your part in this. Wash your hands, wear gloves and a mask when you leave your house, and if you don’t have to go outside, please don’t. Stay inside for your family, your friends, and for the helpless elderly people who would have done it for you.