Avera retirement home prepares COVID-19 wing after residents test positive, one dies

UPDATE:

A resident at Avera Prince of Peace Retirement Community has died from the COVID-19 virus, according to Avera Health officials.

The resident was one of three residents who was infected with the virus this week. The other two patients are still being cared for at the facility, according to a news release.

The age or gender of the person has yet to be released. 

“The health and safety of our residents is our priority, and we are deeply saddened by this loss,” said Justin Hinker, administrator for Avera Prince of Peace. “We will take all precautions possible to stop the spread of this virus in our facility.”

A COVID-19 wing will be established inside the retirement community on Monday, where any suspected or active COVID-19 patients will be treated.

This is the third novel coronavirus-related death in South Dakota. A 51-year-old Huron mother died on March 28 and a Pennington County man in his 60s died on March 9.

EARLIER STORY

The Avera Prince of Peace Retirement Community in Sioux Falls will establish a COVID-19 treatment wing in the building on Monday, officials say.

The wing, which is normally the facility's transitional care unit, will house up to 24 patients who test positive or are suspected to have COVID-19, said Dr. Joseph Rees, medical director of the transitional care unit.

The three patients who tested positive for COVID-19 this week are currently isolated in their rooms and being treated by staff. All other residents at Avera Prince of Peace have also been isolated in their rooms with meals delivered directly to their rooms, Rees said.

"We're trying to keep the other residents at Prince of Peace from contracting COVID-19 and keep employees safe as well," Rees said. "We're trying to maintain safety of our residents as well as nurses and nursing aids to prevent them from contracting it."

Coronavirus in South Dakota:Confirmed cases, latest news and updates

Residents' temperatures are being monitored twice a day, and they're also being screened twice each day for COVID-19 symptoms. The limited number of employees who care for the positive COVID-19 patients wear personal protective equipment in the rooms. The patients are monitored more frequently for any deterioration of their symptoms, Rees said.

Staff members are screened for COVID-19 symptoms when they enter the building and their temperature is taken as well.

Since visitors were restricted from the property nearly three weeks ago, officials assume the virus was introduced to the community through an employee. Residents in the independent living facility only recently restricted visitors though, and the individuals are not quarantined to the building, Rees said.

Officials have not identified the suspected employee.

"We worry about spreading the infection throughout the building, especially to a highly vulnerable population at Prince of Peace or any other retirement communities due to an increased risk of having a severe infection," Rees said. "When you think about who is dying, it's the older individuals. ... We're trying to maintain a balance between caring and not infecting other residents."

Map:Where is coronavirus in South Dakota? View data on ages, counties and gender.

The facility is licensed to care for about 114 residents, and there are about 150 total employees working at Prince of Peace, though not all at the same time.

Rees cautioned that if the illness continues to spread at Prince of Peace and throughout Sioux Falls, hospitals might not have enough capacity to care for all patients, which would impact the care that they would receive. He recommended that anyone who has a major medical illness, such as cancer or something that limits a person's everyday activities, to talk with their doctor about "what your wishes would be and what it would look like if care isn't available at the hospital — if you had to stay at home."

Although South Dakota hospitals have not reached that point, other communities have had to address those difficult questions, said Avera spokesman Jay Gravholt.

"You're not just protecting yourself but the whole community when you stay home," Gravholt said.