Chesco Vets Home 'Like A Death Trap' Amid Coronavirus: Employees

EAST VINCENT, PA — Local leaders are calling for an investigation into a Chester County long-term care facility that has seen its coronavirus deaths triple in the past week and a half, as confusion over responsibility and a lack of accountability and transparency has worsened an already untenable situation.

There have now been 27 deaths at the Southeastern Veterans Center in East Vincent Township, State Sen. Katie Muth (D-44) said Wednesday. That's out of 88 deaths in the county that have occurred in long-term care facilities, according to the latest numbers published by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

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"The situation (at the home) is absolutely unacceptable," Muth said. "There are many unanswered questions about the surge of cases and deaths at the center, and without answers of substance, it's clear the current plan in failing."

Employees told Muth's office that they've been instructed not to speak out about the situation under threat of losing their jobs, and even after showing symptoms of the virus, are still being told to come into work. Other staff members reported improper isolation of suspected positive or confirmed positive individuals, as well as inconsistent cleaning procedures, and supervisors instructing staff to change medical charts.

Patch has reached out to the state for comment on the situation and allegations.

Furthermore, Chester County Coroner Christine VandePol, who joined Muth in her call for an investigation, said she'd received conflicting information regarding the cause of death of individuals, indicating that residents showing symptoms of coronavirus were not tested.

It's not clear if this was because of a shortage of test kits, or if the Pennsylvania and Chester County departments of health are presuming individuals who died at the home died from the virus due to the conditions at the veterans home, VandePol said.

"Hearing their (workers') stories and struggles brought me to tears," Muth said. "This isn't just a lack of supplies or staffing shortages, this is healthcare providers crying out for help because they feel their patietns are at extreme risk because of a failing protocol."

The situation has already led to a deployment from the Pennsylvania National Guard a week and a half ago to bolster staffing. At the time, the veterans facility had confirmed 10 deaths, a number which has nearly tripled in the nine days since.

VandePol expanded on the administrative confusion, expressing concern that other deaths at the facility were being "written off" as due to other causes because residents were not being tested.

VandePol also said she was told that everyone at the facility would be tested, beginning on April 24. However, two days later, on April 26, the facility was still reporting coronavirus deaths despite not performing tests on those individuals.

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"We have no idea what is going on there or how this outbreak is being handled...Are all COVID-19 deaths being reported to us, as they should be by law? " VandePol said, noting that the state has suspended inspections during the outbreak, and that families have no access to see residents due to the mitigation efforts. "So, this is a closed system with no one able to see what's going on. That's a recipe for disaster."

On Wednesday, the county said that about 73 percent of all their deaths had been found in nursing homes, and 23 percent of all county cases are in those facilities.

The Center, one of six state-run facilities overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, has 238 skilled nursing care beds and 54 personal care beds. And while it touts its more spacious, home-like setting as compared to other nursing homes, the virus has still managed to spread rapidly there.