Based on “ABC7” news channel, a nursing home in Yucaipa – Cedar Mountain Post-Acute Rehabilitation – made an attempt to force its activities assistant, Tatianna Dancy, to come to work even though her COVID-19 test came back positive.
On Monday, April 6, 2020, Ms. Dancy missed work due to flu-like symptoms. By that time, 75 people at the “Cedar Mountain” nursing home, including patients and staff members, tested positive for COVID-19. As reported by ABC7, of those infected with the novel coronavirus at the facility, 5 people had already died by April 6th.
In response to her not coming to work, according to Ms. Dancy, a supervisor and then a payroll official from the nursing home called her and indicated that, if she does not come to work to “do laundry”, she would be considered to be abandoning her job.
If a staff member has flu-like symptoms, a nursing home has to encourage the staff member to stay home and self-quarantine. If the staff member has COVID-19 and comes to work, elderly patients will be exposed to the deadly virus.
This news report makes us wonder… Do some nursing homes and assisted living facilities ignore safety guidelines and make their sick employees come to work? Do elder care facilities make asymptomatic staff members provide care to the elderly without wearing masks and gloves? Such failures to implement and follow safety precautions would be a form of elder abuse and neglect. For more information pertaining to COVID-19, including its symptoms, please read this firm’s nursing home infections page.
If you suspect elder neglect related to the failure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please call or fill out an electronic contact form today to request a free consultation. As an elder neglect advocate, Cherepinskiy Law Firm fights for the elderly throughout California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, as well as Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
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