As coronavirus cases surge in the Myrtle Beach area, nursing homes face unique dilemmas
Since COVID-19 began to take lives in mid-March, a common refrain has occurred: The elderly and people with chronic health conditions are most susceptible to infection.
As positive cases increase rapidly in Horry County, local facilities continue to grapple with the challenges of caring for people especially vulnerable to the virus.
In nursing homes and residential care facilities across the state, more than 1,700 residents have been infected with the virus and more than 300 have died. Nearly 900 staff members at those facilities have tested positive and four have died, according to data compiled by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
One facility alone has had 57 resident cases
In late May, a Loris nursing home led the county in coronavirus cases with 38 resident cases, according to DHEC. Since then, Loris Rehab and Nursing Center has recorded another 19 cases for a total of 57 residents and 26 staff members infected with 12 virus-related deaths in residents, according to DHEC.
Other facilities in the county — Grand Strand Rehab and Nursing Center, Brightwater Skilled Nursing Center, Compass Post Acute Rehabilitation, Kingston Nursing Center, Myrtle Beach Manor and Conway Manor — have avoided outbreaks. Each of those facilities has recorded no more than two resident cases since the start of the pandemic.
In an effort to slow the spread in these locations, Gov. Henry McMaster has committed to testing all residents and staff at nursing homes across the state.
Nursing homes remain cautious even as state reopens
In June, Horry County saw record numbers of coronavirus cases as the state reopened beaches, retail stores and restaurants. More than 2,500 cases were diagnosed in June, compared with only 426 between the first reported case March 15 and the first testing event May 30.
For those running nursing homes and other community care facilities, reopening the state poses a dilemma.
Some have decided to keep restrictions tight while others noted it’s impossible to have full control over residents and staff members.
Dianne Dennis, a spokesperson for Wilson Senior Care which operates Loris Rehab and Nursing Center and Grand Strand Rehab and Nursing Center, said the facilities have kept precautions in place even as the state has reopened.
The facilities have sufficient personal protective equipment and staff members are tested every day before they enter the community, Dennis said, adding that the Loris location’s numbers have improved and many patients are recovering.
At Brightwater Skilled Nursing Center, some limitations have been relaxed, according to Executive Director Michael Fink, who pointed out that Brightwater has different levels of care which aren’t all regulated by DHEC. For example, the dining room in the independent living part of Brightwater has reopened following the public health guidelines, Fink said.
“I think there’s oftentimes caution and reluctance with any changes that take place,” Fink said. “We’re continuously having to adapt to what COVID-19 has to offer and what regulations we have to adhere to.”
Virtual bingo — the new normal
At the Loris, Grand Strand and Brightwater communities, things have certainly changed. Both Fink and Dennis pointed out how socializing has changed for the residents.
In places where group gatherings were once common, FaceTime visits, trivia on iPads and virtual bingo games now take their place.
“(We’ve been) creative with Zoom meetings, different forms of electronic visitation to make it as socially gratifying as possible,” Dennis said.
Fink said his staff is working to monitor residents who may be feeling overwhelmed without being able to see loved ones. For some, the lack of socialization has taken a toll. Some enter a state called “failure to thrive,” meaning they lose hope and lack motivation to eat or practice good hygiene.
The pandemic has raised questions about how certain industries, specifically senior care, will look after the spread of the coronavirus has slowed.
Both Dennis and Fink said the situation is volatile and new factors present themselves daily, but some changes are inevitable.
Fink said Brightwater will likely continue to screen residents and staff more often and hold meetings remotely when possible. Dennis didn’t outline specific changes, but said the industry has changed in a “dramatic way.”
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
