State Monitors Requested For Collingswood Nursing Home

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — Camden County officials have asked the state to for help to monitor five nursing homes in the county that have had particular trouble during the outbreak of new coronavirus, including United Methodist Communities at Collingswood.

Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. has submitted a request directly to Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, in concert with his municipal partners where these facilities reside, asking for direct assistance from the nursing home regulatory body, county officials announced on Friday.

According to the state database, there have been 42 cases and 10 deaths at United Methodist Communities at Collingswood. Other nursing homes hit hard by the pandemic in Camden County include Avista Healthcare and Premier Cadbury in Cherry Hill, as well as Genesis Voorhees Center and Lions Gate in Voorhees.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

“As we watched this pandemic evolve, it was immediately evident that many long-term care facilities were unprepared to face the challenge that was presented and to ensure the safety of their residents and staff,” Cappelli said. “Based on the reporting from our community we started taking on the task of inspecting these operations, and we found a variety of issues including flawed infection control procedures, a severe shortage of PPE, and staffing shortages.”

“We appreciate the help from the State and County as the Borough and care providers work to control the spread of this virus,” Collingswood Mayor Jim Maley said. “We need all hands-on deck.”

Together, the five nursing homes have had a significant number of coronavirus cases and 75 deaths, as of May 5. The county has worked with the leadership in each town to set up the monitoring.

The state databases shows the breakdown as follows, although the numbers might not line up with what the county has due to inconsistencies in reporting:

• Avista Healthcare: 66 cases, 6 deaths
• Premier Cadbury: 85 cases, 19 deaths
• Genesis: 159 cases, 26 deaths
• Lions Gate: 70 cases, 11 deaths
• United Methodist Communities: 42 cases, 10 deaths

The move comes a month after Camden County put in place a plan to stem the number of cases and fatalities that were prevalent at 27 of the county’s 56 long-term care centers. After a month, five of the centers were still experiencing problems. Each home will now have a state monitor to assess the situation.

See related: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know