BRENHAM NURSING AND REHAB EMPLOYEES SPEAK OUT ON SITUATION AT FACILITY
A pair of staff members at the Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center are claiming mismanagement led to the current outbreak of COVID-19 cases at the facility.
The two workers, who both requested they remain anonymous, say not enough was done by management to take precautions when positive cases first began to show at the facility, before eventual intervention from state authorities this past weekend. They also say staff members are being demanded to work 12-hour shifts and “rearrange” their lives with little added pay.
The two staff members say management is showing more concern about the situation now, but claim during the time of the first cases earlier this month that they were not given the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) needed. They also allege employees were not told which residents had tested positive for COVID-19, which they say led to many staff members unknowingly working with positive patients. In addition, the two say members of management were informed of any change in a patient’s condition, but claim management did nothing to address the situation.
According to a release Friday from the Washington County Joint Information Center (JIC), there were 67 positive cases of COVID-19 at the Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The two staff members claim that number is now over 70, and does not include management or other staff members.
Residents of the facility, according to the two workers, have been placed around the different wings of the facility, with those testing positive being put in the north wing, and those testing negative moved to the south wing. The two allege, however, that this was done without deep cleaning the rooms of the patients that tested positive.
The two also claim that the staff taking care of residents are not being properly compensated for the work they are doing, saying workers are getting paid roughly $2 extra an hour, or a little over $20 more per 12-hour work day.
Both workers maintain they love their jobs and doing what they can to protect residents, but feel they are not being shown the appreciation and given the compensation they deserve by management.
Friday, State Senator Lois Kolkhorst announced the state, at her request, launched a Mobile Integrated Healthcare Unit to the facility, where it would triage, test all patients and staff, assist in facility management, and make recommendations for next steps for the facility and patient care. She has also asked the Department of State Health Services to deploy a contact trace team to Brenham to ensure that community spread is not occurring.
The facility’s parent company, Regency Integrated Health Services, also responded Friday with a statement, in which it said the facility’s supplies of PPE have been fortified, staff members undergo regular training, and staff and residents have been tested in conjunction with the Department of Health. It said it did not “anticipate a disruption” in the care it provides as the state expedites on-site testing.
KWHI reached out to Regency Integrated Health Services this (Monday) morning, and is awaiting a response to our request for information on what direction has been given by the state, what changes have been or will be made at the facility, and what is being done now to protect residents and staff.
This is terrible on many levels. No need to address everything but my biggest complaint is that the mayor, the managers of this facility & the “news” has not stepped up to the plate & let us know EVERYDAY what is happening & what is being done. These actions are “life” to our elderly in their care.
Dee…as of today (4/29) the County Judge has agreed to release to the news media separate numbers that will show the spread at Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center versus that of the general population.
I agree with Dee. Leaders have hid through this whole process.
The parent company, Regency Integrated Health in Victoria Tx has mismanaged this facility since they purchased it from Scott and White in 2012… it has always been about the bottom line.. there has never been an open line of communication… it saddens me that orders have to be taken from the managing group and not local administration.. because the staff live in this community and will forever have to now live with this issue… the city and county have no jurisdiction on how facilities are managed… this is dictated by the state regulatory board so get off that horse… sad
My concern, of course is first for the elderly fighting through all this, and the ones that have lost loved ones. WHY have we NOT heard any comments from our local leaders regarding anything going on right now? Where is the mayor, the county judge, the ones so called leaders of the community. I don’t need people telling me what to do, because I watch what the professionals say and recommend and do as they ask, but it would sure be nice to know what is actually going on in the city and county without speculating. My apologies, they probably wouldn’t be truthful as they haven’t been yet. It’s sad that you can’t find out anything going on unless it’s hearsay. Even the President addresses the nation almost everyday, wether it’s right or wrong, but at least it’s something. Not like here where we have heard nothing from our leaders.
My Mom is living in Brenham Rehab and Nursing Home. I am very worried about My Mom .She has been testing Negative for this Virus. I am so thankful for that. We have been contacted and told that more people have tested positive for thi virus and were told they were trying to keep everyone informed on what is going on. Now we need to feel that things are being done to stop this. It is sad that things were not taken care of sooner. I am having a lot of sleepless nights worrying about this. We the family can not even go in the building to help out with anything. We can not even see our Mom. We can talk to her. I under stand that but it should never gotten this far. Please do all you can to help the people that you serve. I do apprciate all that the staff is doing now. I am praying for the staff and the people that live there.
If these statements regarding BNR are true and they really did not put the effort to protect our most “at Risk” members of Brenham the first few days of this pandemic Or only allowed two mask per nurse this is a shame, I know its all about how many Beds are filled to make the most money, But Lives were lost, People lost parents , Grandparents and friends. I hope they open a full investigation and if they find them to be guilty of neglect I hope the families file a lawsuit . What a “Black Eye” for the whole town of Brenham. Prayers to all families who lost a loved one, God Bless You.
This is despicable. Not only should the owners of this facility be punished in some manner that wouldn’t hurt employees or residents, but our city managers should take some of the heat for not watching over these types of facilities. I’m ashamed and embarrassed for Brenham.
so true
Nursing staff is paid wages too cheap. They do most of the work and they are paid less than 900 for 2 weeks. RIDICULOUS! SOME AREN’T, some work very hard short handed, and doing double work. Some are just plain lazy. People have family paying a lot of money for care their loved ones are not getting. So sad.
Prayers! This should of never been kept secret like it was. If management would of been transparent from the start maybe things would have not escalated to this point. It’s put their staff and residents health at risk. Seems like they are more concerned about keeping it quiet in fear of how it will make them look! Take care of your employees and treat them like they deserve! Such an awful sad situation. Somebody needs to answer for what has happened at this nursing home!
And it’s sad we all have to go through this. We are the lowest payed nursing facility in Brenham. When u ask management something it’s always we working on it. Just like this they kept a secret but yet still expected us to work under these conditions. I know the residents have to be taken care of but the workers have to taken care of to. We wore the same mask in and out of rooms and was only supplied with two. Cautious wasn’t the word for this. None of us deserved this the residents nor the workers. Secrets have been kept long enough. 75 residents and 28 employees more in the rise….And the sad part we will not be paid for being off and paying our own hospital bills. No one has checked on us to see how we’re doing and that’s sad….
I believe it is spread so quickly through nursing homes by the air conditioning ducts
I greatly appreciate the work you do. I also agree that the staff must be informed and protected from the virus to keep the residents safe. Not given a adequate supply of PPE is unacceptable and a disaster in the making. The staff is on the frontline and should be compensated. If not for your concern and care for the residents whom then will care for the residents. The mayor, our elected officials? I don’t think so. It is shameful that the virus was allowed to spread without taking proper actions or asking for additional help from the state. It seems the nursing homes have been on their own. To the nurses and nurses aides, Thank you for what you do!
Most of the work is put on the aides at the facility. The aides really deserve respect and recognition!.
I would quit because they don’t appreciate anything. I know a lot about this facility and I feel extremely bad for the elderly.