Mississippi Veterans Affairs is working to contain a COVID 19 outbreak at two of its four veterans homes. Executive Director Stacey Pickering says eight residents tested positive at the facility in Collins, eight recovered and four have died from coronavirus-related illnesses. He says they focus on wearing PPE, isolating residents who are positive and sanitizing.
“We use Halo misters that we can mist the rooms. Our staff are hitting the common areas regularly to make sure that they are disinfected and cleaned as well as individual rooms. And once we have an outbreak beyond three or four we can move those into one of our negative pressure rooms which is larger and we can house up to nine at a time,” said Pickering
Pickering says at the veterans home in Jackson, three tested positive, four recovered and one died. He says the risks for COVID 19 infections are greater for the veterans in their facilities than for residents in most nursing homes.
“Ninety-five percent of our occupants are men. Fifty-percent are 85 and older, that compares to about 26 percent in a standard nursing home. We tend to have higher rates of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, COPD, all of those factors that raise the risk when you have COVID 19,” said Pickering
Pamela Moody’s husband Charlie, an Air Force veteran, is at the home in Collins. The 78-year old has Alzheimers and she worries about him becoming infected. Moody says her mother also had the disease.
“Comparing the care that she got at the private home to what he’s getting at the VA home is like daylight and dark. He gets far better care at the VA home. I’ve been pleased,” said Moody.
Mississippi Veterans Affairs also operates homes in Kosciusko and Oxford. Stacey Pickering says since March, 45 of their 600 residents have died from COVID 19. He says about 100 employees have contracted the virus; none has died.
