There is a first deceased as a result of the coronavirus within the walls of Woonzorggroep Samen in Schagen. On Saturday morning, a resident died in one of the two somatic wards of the Magnushof nursing home, where a total of forty people are cared for. There is a second person in the same department who tested positive for the Covid-19 virus on Friday. There are no further suspicions so far and everyone stays there in isolation in their own room.
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The deadly virus is now also striking close to home, in the Noordkop, and it is not without reason that Mayor Marjan van Kampen warns that people should not go en masse to the beach or the forest with her call: “Stay home!”
The number of other infections within Samen compared to the previous day remained unchanged, say the Samen directors Hans Groenendijk and Caroline Beentjes. Which means that until Saturday afternoon there are three residents in De Zandstee in ‘t Zand who have corona and now only one person at Magnushof.
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Hans Groenendijk and Caroline Beentjes (here in 2016 in better times) about the corona outbreak at Woonzorggroep Samen: “We hope not, but we know that the harsh reality is different and that the virus just pops up here.”
© Archive photo by Peter van Aalst
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Snapshot
Groenendijk: “But I must immediately say that this is a snapshot that can suddenly change. And unfortunately we do not assume that it will remain with this one deceased client. You just can’t predict it. The resident who now died was tested positive for the virus on Thursday morning and he died on Saturday morning. ”
Caroline Beentjes emphasizes that – contrary to what was mentioned earlier – the corona patients in Magnushof are not in the closed PG departments. “Those infections were not there, but therefore in the somatic department where, as a nursing home, we are of course dealing with extremely physically vulnerable residents.”
Transparency
Groenendijk and Beentjes say they attach great importance to being as ‘transparent as possible’. That is why they want to indicate here what their organization is currently dealing with, and what the corona policy within Woonzorggroep Samen looks like now.
“In nursing homes, we have always dealt with the most vulnerable people for whom a virus infection – such as the flu – can often be just a little too much on top of all other underlying complaints, so that they die. Within Samen, about 250 residents die each year in our twenty locations. Deaths are therefore common for our care staff in our centers. We are simply in the last phase of life of this vulnerable group. ”
Hard reality
“But many other nursing homes further south in the country already have many more deaths from corona. We hope not, but we know that the harsh reality is different and that the virus just pops up here. As much as we do our best to keep it out. In an outbreak as we know it today, we must expect more infections to follow. Especially when the virus appears in two or more people in a closed ward. If that happens, it also concerns many cases. Testing everyone no longer makes sense because you have to treat residents with symptoms just like the positively tested residents. ”
“But again, we take all necessary measures in our locations and keep all departments strictly separated. We will isolate every corona patient who stays in a non-closed nursing location or residential care location in their own room, just like all other residents. We do this to prevent further contamination. ”
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Residential care location De Zandstee in ‘t Zand has so far had three corona infections: all residents are insulated in their own rooms to prevent further contamination.
© Photo WZG Together
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“We also equip all our employees as well as possible. That is incredibly important. Because what we are going through now is extremely difficult and difficult for our employees and clients. We still have sufficient personal protective equipment in stock so that we can continue to treat our clients in the best possible way in accordance with the RIVM guidelines. ”
Listening line
“And for our employees, we have our own internal listening line for mental care and assistance when needed. Because we realize that it is a very difficult situation for them. We greatly appreciate how our employees resist under these extremely difficult conditions. We can all bow down to that very deeply! ”
“These are tough times, especially for all informal caregivers. For the family members who are not allowed to enter. That is so difficult! We often experience understanding, but sometimes also anger. And we also fully understand that ”, Groenendijk adds to this corona story, which is far from over at Samen either.
Visitors
“As an extension of this,” Beentjes concludes this story, “I want to clarify that the risk of death from an infection is high here. And that clients can of course visit during the dying phase, the generally applicable guidelines also follow. That visitor must then wear protective clothing. Note: this is the general guideline. We will always look at what is needed and what is possible on a case-by-case basis. ”
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