By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Some 34 National Guardsmen are on duty assisting staff at a Pennsylvania run nursing home for veterans, where multiple deaths from the coronavirus have been recorded.
Joan Nissley, spokeswoman for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said some of the guardsmen were working as certified nursing assistants, while others were providing housekeeping and recreational services.
Nissley also said that the official death toll at the facility in Chester County remained at nine, despite reports that a tenth resident had died.
The Southeastern Veterans Center is one of six veterans homes run by the state agency providing care to some 1,300 veterans and their wives. She said that system-wide, 23 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, along with 16 residents.
All six are licensed as nursing homes and undergo regular inspections by surveyors from the state Department of Health. In the most recent inspections, no deficiencies were reported at the Chester County home, but in a report last Fall the facility was cited for failing to provide adequate care to a patient suffering from severe bed sores.
The patient, according to the report, had to be hospitalized and underwent surgery.
Nissley noted that her agency also houses the Pennsylvania National Guard and guardsmen have provided assistance at the veterans homes in the past.
"We are fortunate to once again use the unique skill sets of our Guard members to alleviate some of the intense demands on the homes’ staff during the COVID-19 pandemic," Nissley said.
Noting that residents in the state homes are elderly and many suffer from multiple ailments "which make them particularly susceptible to coronavirus."
"We continue to be vigilant in our infection prevention and control plans and remain dedicated in doing everything we can to stop the spread of this virus," Nissley concluded.
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