One of the hardest decisions to make is the decision to place a loved one or family member in the care of a nursing home. You want to ensure that your loved one will be receiving top-notch care and will be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. Unfortunately, sometimes things that can put our loved one’s health and safety in danger occur at nursing homes. Tragically, a coronavirus outbreak has spread throughout a nursing home in Washington.

The first case of coronavirus was reported at the nursing home on February 19, 2020. Since the initial diagnosis, 26 residents of the nursing home have passed away. At least half of those deaths are attributable to the coronavirus. At the time of the outbreak, the nursing home had about 180 staff members and 120 residents. Over 50 of the residents have been transferred to hospitals. The nursing home has been performing testing on the remaining residents to help detect the illness. More than 60 residents remain at the nursing home. In addition to residents being sickened by the illness, over 70 staff members of the facility have reported symptoms consistent with coronavirus and have been asked to stay home from work.

This is not the first time the facility has had a problem with an outbreak of illness. In April 2019, the state of Washington fined the nursing home almost $70,000 over infection control deficiencies in the facility after two flu outbreaks occurred. During a surprise inspection of the facility in June, the state determined that the problems had been corrected.

A spokesperson for the center has stated that they cannot promise that further exposure to the virus is not occurring. This outbreak has caused a lot of hardship on both residents of the facility and their families. The families of the residents impacted by the outbreak are now seeking answers as to how this happened.