By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Massachusetts officials have designated a second nursing home to serve exclusively as a treatment center for coronavirus victims, forcing the relocation of some 142 current patients at the Wilmington facility.
The selection of Advinia Care was disclosed this week by the nursing home's parent company, Pointe Group Care. Campaign finance records show officers and employees of Pointe Group have donated $4,500 to Massachsuetts Gov. Charles Baker's campaign committee.
The other nursing home selected for the care of covid-19 victims in Massachusetts, Beaumont Nursing and Rehabilitation in Worcester, is owned by the Salmon Health and Retirement. Members of the Salmon family and employees of its nursing homes have donated over $20,000 to the campaign committees of Baker and Lt.Gov. Karyn Polito.
State officials have defended the unusual arrangements contending it is necessary to treat covid-19 patients separately to avoid having additional patients infected. The patients will be sent to the nursing homes upon their release from area hospitals.
Relatives of current and former patients at Beaumont have protested the action contending the shift in location will be especially disruptive for a frail population, many suffering from dementia.
Rev. Megan Leary, whose grandparents lived at Beaumont for several years, said she was particularly troubled by the fact that the transfers were announced at the last minute by Matthew Salmon, the company's chief executive, on a facebook page.
Calling that move "unethical at best," Leary said there was apparently no effort to contact patients or their family members individually.
In a related development, the transfer of the Beaumont patients has been delayed because several of the current patients turned out to be already infected with covid-19. The current patients are being transferred to other Salmon facilities.
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