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Photos: A family’s COVID-19 ordeal at a Washington nursing home

Nations around the world are grappling with how to protect older people from the coronavirus. In South Korea, there were two deaths and dozens of people infected at a nursing home in a province with a major outbreak. Nursing homes have also been a major source of concern in Europe, the new epicenter of the global crisis as the number of new cases declines in China, where the elderly are more commonly cared for at home. In the US, Lori Spencer spoke to Reuters about the experience of shifting her mother Jodi Shape to the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases

Updated on: Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM IST

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1/13

Lori Spencer (R) had an uneasy feeling dropping her 81-year-old mother off at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, Washington on February 26. She felt worse the next day, when her mother Judie Shape (L) threw an uncharacteristic tantrum - begging to leave. What the family didn’t know at the time: The home was already dealing with the initial signs of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. (Jason Redmond / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Lori Spencer (R) had an uneasy feeling dropping her 81-year-old mother off at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, Washington on February 26. She felt worse the next day, when her mother Judie Shape (L) threw an uncharacteristic tantrum - begging to leave. What the family didn’t know at the time: The home was already dealing with the initial signs of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. (Jason Redmond / REUTERS)

2/13

Workers begin a day of cleaning at the Centre. On February 19, the facility sent out a patient with respiratory problems for testing, followed by a second on February 24. Life Care officials have said they initially suspected flu. Three days after Shape arrived there, Life Care announced one of the tests had come back positive for coronavirus. “By then it was too late,” Spencer told Reuters. “We couldn’t move her. She was suddenly a prisoner there.” (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Workers begin a day of cleaning at the Centre. On February 19, the facility sent out a patient with respiratory problems for testing, followed by a second on February 24. Life Care officials have said they initially suspected flu. Three days after Shape arrived there, Life Care announced one of the tests had come back positive for coronavirus. “By then it was too late,” Spencer told Reuters. “We couldn’t move her. She was suddenly a prisoner there.” (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

3/13

Medics and healthcare workers transfer a patient at Life Care. Shape wouldn’t be tested for 11 more days, as Spencer and her family waited in anguish. Amid a severe shortage of tests nationally - and at Life Care - the home initially tested only those showing symptoms. The Kirkland home’s deadly outbreak illustrates how fast COVID-19 can spread through an elderly care facility. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Medics and healthcare workers transfer a patient at Life Care. Shape wouldn’t be tested for 11 more days, as Spencer and her family waited in anguish. Amid a severe shortage of tests nationally - and at Life Care - the home initially tested only those showing symptoms. The Kirkland home’s deadly outbreak illustrates how fast COVID-19 can spread through an elderly care facility. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

4/13

A discarded glove lies on the street in front of the Life Care Center. Facilities nationwide have struggled with overwhelmed staff and a national scarcity of testing kits, thrusting families into dilemmas over how to protect elderly loved ones in need of full-time care or rehabilitation. In the US, infection control failures have long been a serious problem across the nursing home industry, which houses about 1.7 million senior citizens. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

A discarded glove lies on the street in front of the Life Care Center. Facilities nationwide have struggled with overwhelmed staff and a national scarcity of testing kits, thrusting families into dilemmas over how to protect elderly loved ones in need of full-time care or rehabilitation. In the US, infection control failures have long been a serious problem across the nursing home industry, which houses about 1.7 million senior citizens. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

5/13

Flowers are seen near the sign outside the Life Care Center of Kirkland. King County, Washington officials reported on Sunday that 29 deaths from COVID-19 had been linked to the home. Life Care, as of Friday, confirmed 13 deaths and was awaiting results on 11 more people who died. On Friday, a Trump administration official called on nursing homes nationally to restrict all visitors, with the exception of some “end of life” situations. (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Flowers are seen near the sign outside the Life Care Center of Kirkland. King County, Washington officials reported on Sunday that 29 deaths from COVID-19 had been linked to the home. Life Care, as of Friday, confirmed 13 deaths and was awaiting results on 11 more people who died. On Friday, a Trump administration official called on nursing homes nationally to restrict all visitors, with the exception of some “end of life” situations. (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

6/13

A cleaning crew member peeks through window blinds at Life Care. Richard Mollott, executive director of The Long Term Care Community Coalition in New York, called nursing home residents “sitting ducks,” adding that “the industry already has a poor track record of keeping people safe.” The American Health Care Association, an eldercare industry group, called such criticism unhelpful in a pandemic. (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

A cleaning crew member peeks through window blinds at Life Care. Richard Mollott, executive director of The Long Term Care Community Coalition in New York, called nursing home residents “sitting ducks,” adding that “the industry already has a poor track record of keeping people safe.” The American Health Care Association, an eldercare industry group, called such criticism unhelpful in a pandemic. (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

7/13

Cleveland based Life Care Centers of America Inc. operates the Kirkland home with more than 200 senior-living centres in 28 states. The company said last week it would take stringent infection-control measures at all facilities. Press liaison Tim Killian, described an overwhelmed staff acting heroically in the face of a ferocious outbreak. By March 7, more than one third of the 180 staffers were out of action with suspected COVID-19 symptoms. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Cleveland based Life Care Centers of America Inc. operates the Kirkland home with more than 200 senior-living centres in 28 states. The company said last week it would take stringent infection-control measures at all facilities. Press liaison Tim Killian, described an overwhelmed staff acting heroically in the face of a ferocious outbreak. By March 7, more than one third of the 180 staffers were out of action with suspected COVID-19 symptoms. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

8/13

Spencer knew little of the disease threat at nursing homes when she arrived at Life Care with her mother. But the day her mother begged to leave --two days before the home confirmed the outbreak --Spencer drove to the facility with the intention of removing her. Spencer broke into tears when the nurse said he was worried about her, too, and asked how long both women had been dealing with hospital stress before arriving at Life Care. (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Spencer knew little of the disease threat at nursing homes when she arrived at Life Care with her mother. But the day her mother begged to leave --two days before the home confirmed the outbreak --Spencer drove to the facility with the intention of removing her. Spencer broke into tears when the nurse said he was worried about her, too, and asked how long both women had been dealing with hospital stress before arriving at Life Care. (Lindsey Wasson / REUTERS)

9/13

Lori Spencer and husband Michael outside Judie Shape’s room. Spencer had another quandary: Her mother had just had blood clot surgery and was suffering from a severe stomach infection. She could not walk, and couldn’t return to her full-time retirement community nearby until she was mobile. She came to Life Care for rehabilitation. “But I will live forever with that tantrum,” Spencer said, “because I meant to take her home that day.” (Jason Redmond / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Lori Spencer and husband Michael outside Judie Shape’s room. Spencer had another quandary: Her mother had just had blood clot surgery and was suffering from a severe stomach infection. She could not walk, and couldn’t return to her full-time retirement community nearby until she was mobile. She came to Life Care for rehabilitation. “But I will live forever with that tantrum,” Spencer said, “because I meant to take her home that day.” (Jason Redmond / REUTERS)

10/13

Judie Shape after meeting her family through her window in what has become a heartbreaking daily ritual for many families. Life Care never prohibited residents from leaving the home, Killian said in a March 12 briefing. But it has become impossible for many families to move a relative, with hospitals only taking those with acute symptoms. “There’s nowhere else for these patients to go,” Killian said. (Brian Snyder / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Judie Shape after meeting her family through her window in what has become a heartbreaking daily ritual for many families. Life Care never prohibited residents from leaving the home, Killian said in a March 12 briefing. But it has become impossible for many families to move a relative, with hospitals only taking those with acute symptoms. “There’s nowhere else for these patients to go,” Killian said. (Brian Snyder / REUTERS)

11/13

Medics transport a patient into an ambulance at Life Care. Shape was finally tested for coronavirus on March 8. On March 10, before getting the test results, Shape woke up feeling ill, like the beginnings of a severe head cold. Spencer called the nurses station for a full medical report. She asked about the coronavirus test --and found out the results had already come in, but no one had called her. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Medics transport a patient into an ambulance at Life Care. Shape was finally tested for coronavirus on March 8. On March 10, before getting the test results, Shape woke up feeling ill, like the beginnings of a severe head cold. Spencer called the nurses station for a full medical report. She asked about the coronavirus test --and found out the results had already come in, but no one had called her. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

12/13

Spencer’s guilt and fear about her mother’s condition is mixed with suspicion that Life Care knew a powerful virus was sweeping through the facility but failed to warn her. She continues to talk to her mother several times a day by phone, looking at her through the window of her room. Shape isn’t sleeping much. She tries to remain upbeat. Her symptoms so far have been less severe than many others of her age and medical condition. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Spencer’s guilt and fear about her mother’s condition is mixed with suspicion that Life Care knew a powerful virus was sweeping through the facility but failed to warn her. She continues to talk to her mother several times a day by phone, looking at her through the window of her room. Shape isn’t sleeping much. She tries to remain upbeat. Her symptoms so far have been less severe than many others of her age and medical condition. (David Ryder / REUTERS)

13/13

Judie Shape walks in her room at the Life Care Center of Kirkland. The mother struggled with isolation and loneliness before her hospital and nursing home stays. She has grown more fearful - and angry - watching the TV news on coronavirus while cooped up in her room. “My mom is isolated, at the end of her life,” Spencer said. “She doesn’t deserve this.” (David Ryder / REUTERS)

Updated on Mar 17, 2020 4:53 PM

Judie Shape walks in her room at the Life Care Center of Kirkland. The mother struggled with isolation and loneliness before her hospital and nursing home stays. She has grown more fearful - and angry - watching the TV news on coronavirus while cooped up in her room. “My mom is isolated, at the end of her life,” Spencer said. “She doesn’t deserve this.” (David Ryder / REUTERS)

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