CRESCENT CITY, Fla. – A Putnam County woman died Sunday after contracting COVID-19 at a Putnam County nursing home, according to her family.
Chuck Weaver, the son-in-law of 70-year-old Linda Trim, said someone from Lakewood Nursing Center in Crescent City called him and his wife on July 3 and told them Trim had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Weaver said, at first, no one explained how she got infected. Then, he said, they were tipped off by an employee who said, prior to Trim getting infected, several staff members got infected after attending a social gathering with little social distancing. Weaver also said the center posted a message on its Facebook page about it. News4Jax could not find that post on Wednesday but did find July 9 post about staff members who tested positive for the virus and what procedures they should follow.
“They could have taken better care of her and they should not have let those staff members come back in there without being tested,” Weaver said.
He said Trim was eventually transferred to a hospital after her condition got worse.
“She was lying on her deathbed three or four days before they finally let us come in to see her, and that was at the very last few minutes. Thank God my daughter and wife made it there in time to say goodbye to her,” Weaver said.
Trim died in the hospital. Weaver said, after she died, the family learned she had bedsores and bruises on her body. Now, the family wants to know what contributed to the sores and bruises.
“My daughter is so upset about this, and this is the main reason why I am pushing the issue and want people to know,” Weaver said. “To me, honestly, I don’t see any change in this. I really don’t because nursing homes have been messed up for years.”
According to the latest report from the Florida Department of Health, which was released over the weekend, Lakewood Nursing Center has had one coronavirus resident death.
A report from the state Department of Health shows, as of Monday, Lakewood Nursing Center had eight positive residents, two positive residents transferred and 14 positive staff members. According to the health department, the data is provisional and subject to change. It’s also worth noting that the information in the report comes from the facilities, as they report it to the state Agency for Health Care Administration. The data is not a cumulative total of the cases at a given facility -- instead, it is a current snapshot.
INTERACTIVE: Tracking coronavirus cases at Northeast Florida long-term care facilities
According to state records, the nursing home had 12 violations dating back to 2005, and three of those violations occurred last year.
About 9 p.m. Wednesday, Lakewood Nursing Center released the statement below. The statement was identical to the July 9 post on the center’s Facebook page, and did not address concerns by the Trim’s family
“At this time we are aware of several residents and staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19.
“Residents who have tested positive will be cared for in a dedicated section of the facility and staff will care for them with the required personal protective equipment; we will follow all rules and guidelines of the CDC and Department of Health.
“All staff members who tested positive should follow the procedures directed by the Putnam County Florida Department of Health.
“The well-being of our residents and staff is our highest priority and we are working very closely with the team at the Department of Health to ensure that those who have been identified receive care and support as needed. All residents are being cared for to the best of our ability. These are trying times for all. We are in constant contact with the State and we continue to follow all procedures and guidelines to care for our residents.”