Covid-19 concerns at retirement village
76-year-old Gogo Mosima Swartland of the Sonneheim retirement village died in hospital on 11 July, after showing pneumonia-like symptoms but later tested positive for Covid-19.
A woman said a Pretoria retirement village refused to close for decontamination after her 76-year-old mother, who stayed at the retirement home, died of Covid-19 two weeks ago.
“The owner [of the Sonnheim retirement centre in Arcadia] didn’t close the business for even just one day, to decontaminate the building and to get the department of health to help with carrying out tests for staff and patients,” claimed Manare Swartland.
Manare’s mother, Mosima Swartland, died in hospital on 11 July, after showing pneumonia-like symptoms.
“Doctors said she had symptoms of pneumonia, but they also tested her for Covid-19,” said Manare.
“The next day, I received a message that my mother tested positive for the virus.”
Manare said one staff member, who also a close caregiver to her mother at the home, also tested positive. Her suspicion was that the management at the home was not taking all the necessary precautions.
“My mom was on lockdown at the home, so there is clearly a problem there.”
After Mosima Swartland’s death, Manare said she messaged the manager of the home, informing her of her mother’s positive Covid-19 test.
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“She put the patients and the staff in isolation, without checking for symptoms. But the building was not decontaminated because it was never evacuated,” she said.
Manare said she grew even more concerned when she heard three other people at the home had died soon after her mother.
She said the home should be proactive in detecting the virus, instead of waiting for more infections and deaths.
“I tried to find out what precautions were being taken, but the response was not satisfactory.
“I would like to help the patients and the staff who are still there so that my mother’s death was not in vain.
“The home was great at handling old people, I am just scared that more people will die,” she said.
Manare said she was not informed when her mother’s health started deteriorating and she only found out after calling her caregiver.
“When I got there my mother couldn’t walk and was in a wheelchair,” she said.
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“I organised for paramedics to take my mother to Muelmed hospital because she wasn’t breathing properly. The response of the home’s in-house doctor was just not as urgent as would have I expected.”
Mosima was admitted to hospital where she died three days later.
Sonnheim manager Karima Roussouw confirmed that three other residents had died at the home after Swartland but said their deaths were not related to Covid-19.
Rossouw said she had no confirmation of Swartland’s status, but said it was the first case of Covid-19 at the home.
“We were very lucky indeed to keep Covid-19 at bay at our centre.”
She also confirmed that one worker tested positive after about a month’s “psychiatric sick leave”.
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She said management insisted on a Covid-19 test before the worker could return for work at the premises.
“Sonnheim denied the worker access after the test was confirmed positive. The employee was not on duty since July 1 and has since not been on the premises.”
She said the premises were regularly disinfected with a hospital-approved decontaminating disinfectant and normal wiping down procedures.
Staff members are also disinfected at the entrances and screened for fever and other coronavirus-related symptoms.
She also dismissed Manare’s claims that the family was not informed of Swartland’s ill health.
“We did inform the family as well as her doctor on Monday, after the staff reported a change in her eating habits and general appearance the previous Sunday,” said Rossouw.
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