Sagepoint Senior Living addresses coronavirus concerns in video posted to YouTube
LA PLATA, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The CEO and President of a Charles County senior facility believed to be the site of a COVID-19 outbreak used YouTube to respond to concerns at the Sagepoint Senior Living Services facility.
For at least a week now, FOX 5 DC has been asking for answers after receiving an outpouring of concern about a COVID-19 outbreak at a certain Sagepoint Senior Living Services facility in Charles County, MD. Sagepoint operates two in the county.
On Friday, Sagepoint’s website announced that a video was posted to YouTube a little after 8:30 in the evening.
RELATED: FOX 5 continues to seek answers on Sagepoint Senior Living in Charles County
“As part of our commitment to honest and transparency…” a narrator says in the beginning. The video posted is a “Q & A” or “Question and Answer” session with the CEO and President of Sagepoint Senior Living Services, Andrea Dwyer.
Two Thursdays ago is when FOX 5 DC’s Ike Ejiochi first reported on serious concerns of a COVID-19 outbreak at the Charles County Senior living facility.
Several family members of loved-ones impacted claimed the facility was not properly informing them of the situation. First responders said the same.
Some of the answers in the video directly respond to accusations and claims reported by FOX 5 DC. This includes concerns voiced by a former employee, who told FOX 5 she quit on the day Sagepoint announced their first positive COVID-19 patient because she was concerned over not having proper personal protective equipment (PPE) while caring for the roommate of that positive patient.
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As “Question 2” appears on video, the narrator says, “On that topic, there was a report with a former employee who stated that she did not have proper equipment when she was last in the building on March 30th. Can you answer this?”
Dwyer responds on video, “That is correct. The employee was last in the building on March 30th, which was prior to us having a known COVID client in our facility. So PPE was distributed once we knew we were accepting a return, long-term care client back to us that was COVID positive, at which point, prior to that, all PPE was distributed and education as provided to the staff that remained with us.”
A previous press release posted to Sagepoint’s website on March 30th reads, “We have been informed today that a resident who was originally transferred to the hospital for non-COVID related symptoms has now tested positive for COVID-19.”
Dwyer answers seven questions but still does not confirm how many positive COVID-19 cases and deaths are connected to this facility, which has been an issue of concern for family members and health care workers all across the region.
Those connected to facilities in Virginia and other parts of Maryland have also voiced frustrations with how different senior facilities are reporting COVID-19 cases and outbreaks.
RELATED: Nearly 100 coronavirus cases connected to Sagepoint Senior Living, source says
D.C. is now posting their facilities impacted by COVID-19. Virginia does not name the facilities, but does include the numbers of nursing facilities impacted. Maryland has been collecting this information, however it’s not clear how or when the Governor’s office or state health department might report this to the public.
A federal mandate last weekend began requiring senior facilities to report their COVID-19 developments to staff, residents and the resident’s families. The federal CMS, or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, is also now requiring these facilities report to the CDC.
The narrator of the video says this is the first of a serious of videos Sagepoint will post. The video also shared the email: questions@sagepointcare.org.
Any questions that can be answered in future videos should be sent there, according to the video’s narrator.