Family who lost grandmother to COVID says nursing home never told them of outbreak

Advocates for the elderly, including the AARP, and some media outlets are pushing for more information about COVID cases and deaths at nursing homes state and nationwide.

NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF COVID-19DEATHS IN OHIO -- ARE COMINGFROM LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES?NOW -- THE A-A-R-P IS PUSHINGOHIO OFFICIALS TO RELEASE MOREINFORMATION.INVESTIGATIVEREPORTER PAULA CHRISTIANBRINGS US THE STORY OF ONEFAMILY WHO SAYS THEY áNEVERKNEW THAT THEIR GRANDMOTHER'SNURSING HOME HAD A COVIDOUTBREAK -- UNTIL SHE TESTEDPOSITIVE AND LATER DIED.There's no oversight.

There'snobody saying anything.

DEBBIELACKEY SAYS HER 82-YEAR-OLDMOTHER WAS HAVING TROUBLEBREATHING ON APRIL 30.

THENEXT DAY SHE SAYS HER MOTHER -ODESSA WILLIAMS - TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19.

SHEDIED 18 DAYS LATER.

LACKEYSAYS CLOVERNOOK HEALTHCARENEVER NOTIFIED HER ABOUT ACOVID OUTBREAK BEFORE HERMOTHER GOT SICK.I never got a call aboutanyone in the nursing homehaving COVID.

LACKEY'SDAUGHTER, SHANNON MYATT,TURNED TO THE OHIO DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH'S WEBSITE WHICHREPORTS WEEKLY TOTALS OFNURSING HOME COVIDCASES."When we found out she waspositive we looked on the ODHwebsite and saw there were 25residents at the nursing homethat were positive and fourstaff members that werepositive.

GOVERNOR DEWINEANNOUNCED A STATE ORDER ONAPRIL 13 REQUIRING NURSINGHOMES TO NOTIFY RESIDENTS ANDTHEIR FAMILIES WITHIN 24 HOURSIF ANYONE TESTS POSITIVE FORCOVID.

NO ONE FROM CCHHEALTH CARE, WHICH OWNSCLOVERNOOK, WANTED TO GO ONCAMERA.

IN A STATEMENT TO THEITEAM, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONSBOB ZIMMER SAYS IN PART"CLOVERNOOK HEALTHCARE ISEXTREMELY DILIGENT INFOLLOWING ALL RECOMMENDATIONSTO REDUCE THE RISK OFTRANSMISSION IN THIS REGARD,ALL APPROPRIATE LETTERS/NOTIFICATIONS WERE SENT BEGINNING ONAPRIL 13." BUT LACKEY SAYS SHENEVER GOT A PHONE CALL ORLETTER."There could have been a wayfor some of the seniors, hadtheir families known, to betransported out of there."THESTATE'S MOST RECENT DATA SHOWS39 RESIDENTS AND 17 STAFFMEMBERS AT CLOVERNOOK HAVETESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID 19SINCE MID-APRIL.

MYATT SAYSSHE PLANS TO FILE A COMPLAINTWITH THE STATE.LACKEY SAYSSEVEN OTHER RESIDENTS WHOLIVED ON THE SAME FLOOR AS HERMOTHER ALSO DIED OF COVIDBASED ONCONVERSATIONS SHE HADWITH THEIR FAMILIES.

SHE ISUNABLE TO CONFIRM THAT BECAUSEOHIO DOES NOT DISCLOSE THENUMBER OF NURSING HOMERESIDENTS WHO DIE OF COVID BYFACILITY.BUT OTHER STATES SUCHAS KENTUCKY, INDIANA,TENNESSEE, WEST VIRGINIA ANDMICHIGAN DO REPORT IT.THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHSAYS THIS LAW PREVENTS THEMFROM TELLING THE PUBLIC HOWMANY RESIDENTS OF A PARTICULARNURSING HOME HAVE DIED FROMCOVID BECAUSE OF PRIVACYCONCERNS.

BUT THE AARP SAYSTHERE IS NOTHING IN OHIO'S LAWTHAT SAYS THAT INFORMATIONCAN'T BE RELEASED.We're in a pandemic whereinformation matters." ELAINERYAN, VICE PRESIDENT FOR STATEADVOCACY AT AARP, WANTS OHIOTO REPORT THE NUMBER OF COVIDCASES AND DEATHS AT EACH LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY ON A DAILYBASIS.

AN OHIO HEALTHDEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN SAYS,"NOT RELEASING DEATHINFORMATION IN NURSING HOMESIS IN LINE WITH OUR POLICIESTO REDUCE UNNECESSARYINTRUSION INTO PEOPLE'S LIVES.IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE FAMILYOF THE PATIENT WHO PASSEDAWAY." RYAN SAYS THATINFORMATION COULD SAVE LIVES."Let thetaxpayers know what's goingon.

Let families know how theycan make life and deathdecisions on behalf of theirloved ones who have little tono information in thosefacilities." PETE VAN RUNKLE,EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OHIOHEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION, SAYSHE WOULDN'T OPPOSE THE STATERELEASING DEATH RATES ATNURSING HOMES.

HE SAYS HE HASMUCH BIGGER CONCERNS RIGHTNOW.

AT THE TOP OF THE LISTIS GETTING COVID TESTING OFNURSING HOME STAFF RETURNEDMORE QUICKLY.

THE NATIONALGUARD IS CONDUCTING THISTESTING STATEWIDE.

HE SAYSSOME NURSING HOMES WAIT 14DAYS."That's just ridiculousbecause how can you takeaction to prevent spread ifsomeone is positive but youdon't know it for 14 days."MEANWHILE SHANNON MYATT HOPESTHAT TELLING HER GRANDMOTHER'SSTORY WILL BRING CHANGE.These people could be yourgrandparents.

These peoplecould be you in you know 50years." PAULA CHRISTIAN, WCPO9 I-TEAM.