In her 18 months living at Mahoning Valley Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LaRue C. Shafer grew fond of the staff and her fellow residents.

“She liked it there, she made friends,” said her son, Robert F. Shafer.

But on Nov. 30, LaRue, known affectionately as “Tut,” died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus, at St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus.

Shafer, 80, was among about 32 COVID-19 related deaths at the facility, said President/CEO Michael A. Mickey.

Nursing homes, whose residents are most vulnerable, are particularly hard hit by the virus. As of Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health listed a total of 50,970 infections in nursing home residents; 9,180 among staff; and 8,412 deaths among the 1,454 facilities.

Six long-term care facilities in Carbon County tallied 315 cases among residents and 32 among staff. There were a total of 65 deaths.

As of Dec. 18, 78 Mahoning Valley residents had contracted it, but recovered, Mickey said. Of the facility’s 200 employees, 54 have tested positive.

Many were asymptomatic, but they still must quarantine for 10 days, he said.

Mickey regularly posts updates on its Facebook page.

As of Dec. 16, “we have had a total of 117 residents test positive for (COVID-19), his post said.

“Most importantly, 74 residents recovered have been confirmed resolved by our medical team and we have every expectation that more will be resolved later this week,” Mickey posted.

“We didn’t get hit until Oct. 31. We thought we were home free.”

One resident went to an out of the area hospital; a few days later, the hospital called him to say the resident’s caregiver had tested positive. The resident soon began to show symptoms of the disease.

Because nursing home residents are typically older and sicker, they are more vulnerable to the virus.

That also means it may be more difficult to determine the role the virus plays in their deaths.

“We often see something secondary to COVID-19. So many (residents) are medically compromised,” Mickey said.

On Dec. 23 the nursing home reported the wings have been designated as green zones, meaning those residents were not exposed.

The department of health has three zone designations, red, yellow and green.

Residents with a positive test and symptomatic are in red zones. Potentially exposed residents or those who are asymptomatic are in yellow.

Mickey is eagerly anticipating the availability of the coronavirus vaccine.

“We are on a list. We signed up a month ago, and we’re waiting to hear,” Mickey said.

Protocols

“We’re reporting twice daily to state agencies, including on weekends,” Mickey said.

Mahoning Valley is testing staff and residents weekly.

“I hope nobody is positive. That would make my day,” Mickey said about the next round of testing.

In November, he posted to the home’s Facebook page that “our residents will continue to remain in their rooms as part of our facilitywide infection control efforts along with specific isolation measures for residents who have tested positive for or awaiting test results for COVID-19.

“As always, if circumstances warrant, the transfer of a resident to another unit, room or health care facility, we will contact you immediately,” the post said.

“We’re following prescribed methodology and testing devices,” Mickey said.

The state Department of Health has issued nursing home mandates covering testing, personal protective equipment, training and reporting.

Virus takes its toll

In addition to the physical impact, COVID-19 has emotionally devastated residents, staff and families.

The day before she died, Shafer, who lives in Florida, spoke with his mother at the hospital via video chat.

“She looked normal. She was smiling,” he said. “I could see she was scared, but she looked normal. She said ‘I love you’. I said I love you, too. You’re the best mother,” Shafer said.

“I had a chance to say goodbye to my mother, and that was the hardest thing I ever had to do,” he said.

Shafer’s grief over the loss of his mother is punctuated by anger that he wasn’t told sooner of his mother’s diagnosis.

“They called me 3:52 a.m. Nov. 27 that my mother was being taken to the emergency room because her oxygen levels were low. They said she had COVID,” he said.

“She was in critical condition at that point. There was no helping her,” he said.

Shafer, who had weekly video chats with his mother, said his sister was able to be with her.

LaRue Shafer passed away at 10 a.m. Nov. 30.

It’s unclear why Shafer didn’t learn more quickly of his mother’s diagnosis.

“Why did they wait so long? They’re keeping them in the home too long instead of taking them to the hospital,” Shafer said.

Mickey said he could not address LaRue Shafer’s illness and subsequent death because of privacy constraints.

He said, “Families are notified immediately if a resident tests positive. That’s our protocol.”

Mickey said caring for those with the disease is hard on his staff.

“It’s hard to watch. I’m so grateful for the staff. They’ve stepped up like you wouldn’t believe. Our staff sees residents as family. It is disheartening, particularly with holidays,” he said.

“They ask residents what they want for Christmas, only to be told, ‘I just want to hug my daughter.’?”