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Vol 41 • No. 7
Cause of deadly nursing home clusters difficult to pinpoint
'I was gasping for breath': Covid-19 survivor
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By Bob Rives “Where do you think you got it?” Friends ask me that about the Covid-19 that felled me for much of this spring. The answer, unfortunately, is I have no idea. There are guesses. There were crowds at the gym, in church, stores and restaurants. But I don’t know anyone in those places who has been afflict-
June 2020
ed. We have been to Wuhan, the Chinese city where it all apparently started. But that was 21 years ago. What this means is it’s hard to tell where the virus lurks and that’s why it’s so hard to stop the pandemic. But halting it is a good idea. Having gone through it, the experience isn’t worth repeating. See Survivor, page 7
By Mary Clarkin Roz Hutchinson believes her mother receives excellent care at Chisholm Place, a memory care home on Webb Road in Wichita. Seven deaths among residents from COVID-19 haven’t shaken that opinion. “I believe that they have done everything that could or would or should have been done to protect the staff and to protect residents, and to communicate what they were doing,” said Hutchinson, whose mother, Betty Rowley, is 94. “I felt bad for them, because I know it’s not been easy and they’re very close to my mother and all the other residents.” Chisholm Place is among three long-term care facilities in Sedgwick County that accounted for 85 percent of Sedgwick County’s COVID-19 deaths through mid-May. No one can say for sure why. Clearwater Nursing and Rehabilitation Center had eight resident
deaths and 61 confirmed cases — 47 residents, 14 staff — as of May 8. Chisholm Place, 1859 N. Webb Rd., had 34 cases among residents, including seven deaths, and 12 cases among staff as of May 12. Park West Plaza Retirement Community’s The Manor Nursing Home, 503 N. Maize Road. had nine cases— seven residents, two staff— and one resident death as of May 4. Sedgwick County announced May 15 there was a 17th death from one of these three long-term care COVID cluster sites. It did not disclose the location. Some nursing facilities in Sedgwick County have had one positive case, but the virus did not spread and kept those facilities off the cluster list. Why did the virus spread in these other three? “That is a good question, and one I don’t have an answer for. That’s a See Clusters, page 10
Hot on the trails
Walkers, cyclists take to paths for exercise and fun
If there’s a silver lining to these last few months, it may be this: People are discovering an outdoors they’ve previously experienced mostly through car windows. The greater Wichita area boasts numerous scenic paths for biking and walking, and they’ve been packed as never before. For the most part, the region’s flat topography makes them ideal for all ages. Turn to pages 11 and 17 to find two great possibilities for your next outing: the Arkansas River Path and Wichita State University’s outdoor sculpture collection. See pages 11 and 17
Questions about services?
Photo by Fernando Salazar/ Wichita Journalism Collaborative
Friends enjoy a sunset stroll along the Arkansas River in Wichita.
Central Plains Area Agency on Aging or call your county Department on Aging: 1-855-200-2372
Butler County: (316) 775-0500 or 1-800- 279-3655 Harvey County: (316) 284-6880 or 1-800-279-3655