Kristin James was concerned about her grandfather, and she was determined to get answers.
Her grandfather, 70-year-old Jimmy Lackey, has been a resident for four years at Bedford Care Center of Hattiesburg.
Originally from Petal, Lackey suffers from dementia and several other conditions, including coronary artery disease and diabetes.
According to James, Lackey has also been diagnosed with COVID-19, and he is one of several patients with the virus at the nursing home.
“I got the news that he tested positive at 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 3,” said James. “(Nursing home) staff said that they were moving him to the COVID area, which is normally where they have their rehab patients. They have about 18 rooms, give or take a couple. These rooms, for rehab purposes, usually have only one bed in them, but they are big enough to house two beds.”
James said the rehab section usually has two nurses and four certified nursing assistants, but they were currently operating with only two nurses and two assistants.
“They are very short-staffed,” she said.
James said she tried for several days to get any details she could about her grandfather’s condition.
“I called Monday, and I was able to get through to the COVID area. The nurse said that she was busy moving patients around and that I should call back in 30 minutes. I called back in 45 minutes, and she was still too busy to talk to me,” said James.
James then left a message with the director of nursing for the facility.
“I did get a call from a nurse supervisor who said that my grandfather was doing fine. I pressed her further and found out that he was being given a strong dose of an antibiotic. She told me that she does not have access to him; only the people assigned to the COVID area are allowed in and out,” she added. “I called on Tuesday, got transferred to the COVID area, and the phone rang for a solid four minutes before I hung up.”
Frustrated with the process, James called back and asked for anyone who could give her an update on Lackey, a retired diesel mechanic who was left disabled by a car accident. She was eventually connected with a social worker.
“She told me that they were short-staffed because several of their personnel were out because they tested positive to COVID,” said James. “All I really wanted to know was if he was on oxygen and if he has gotten better or worse. I am fortunate that I have gotten some information because another family member whose loved one has COVID and is in the same facility was only told ‘no news is good news.’”
On May 7, The PineBelt NEWS published an article about the Mississippi State Department of Health refusing to release the names of long-term care facilities with virus outbreaks. James saw the article on the newspaper’s Facebook page and posted about her experiences with her grandfather. Soon after, she was contacted by an administrator from the facility.
“The administrator was able to get me some answers that I had been requesting since my grandfather contracted COVID,” said James. “My grandfather seems to be progressing well, and I talked to family members who have had patients in there that are recovering from it ... and their family members seem to be getting better. Whatever treatment they have them on in there is working. They’re getting better.”
James said she was upset that the Health Department won’t release the names of the affected facilities.
“What I have been saying ... and what I even told Bedford’s home office ... is they became short-staffed at some point during this period, and they need nurses. They need (licensed practical nurses) and (registered nurses), and not only that, but they could use help from nursing assistants, janitorial services, anybody who’s willing to come in there.”
James said New York had a similar situation on their hands, but instead of the secrecy, state officials broadcasted the need for nurses and doctors.
“Nurses and doctors left Mississippi and flew up to New York to help and assist,” she said. “The same thing could happen here. We could have better care for our loved ones when the nursing homes are short-staffed.”
As of Wednesday, state health officials were still refusing to release the names of affected facilities despite a public records request from The PineBelt NEWS and a subsequent complaint to the Mississippi Ethics Commission.
As of Wednesday, there are 1,267 COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities across the state with 212 deaths.
In Forrest County, there are 54 such cases with 12 deaths, and in Lamar County, there are three such cases with two deaths.
The state considers long-term care facilities to be nursing homes, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, personal care homes, assisted living facilities, long-term acute facilities and psychiatric or chemical dependency residential treatment centers.
James added that the situation at Bedford seems to be improving. She has been able to get in touch with staff in the COVID wing of the facility and get more detailed and accessible information on her grandfather.
“I don’t know if they’ve pulled from other nursing homes or hired more people,” she said. “I don’t want to bash the nursing home; they’re doing the very best they can, and they’ve been so good to my grandfather. The COVID situation made me worry tremendously, but I’m glad that he’s progressing, and whatever they have for a treatment plan is definitely working.”
Bedford officials did not respond to a request for comment by press time Wednesday.
