LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Just last week, David McKenzie was losing sleep over how to get personal protective equipment, or PPE, at his small, Louisa, Kentucky, nursing home to prevent potential infection from the coronavirus.
“I was having nightmares,” said McKenzie, whose staff had been using face shields improvised from plastic soda bottles and rubber bands.
But after a Courier Journal story about the plight of nursing homes being unable to get items including masks, shields, gloves and gowns, McKenzie said he’s been inundated with donations of supplies.
“It’s like a magic light switch went on,” said McKenzie, administrator of The Jordan Center, a 110-bed, family-owned facility that is Lawrence County’s only nursing home. “It was an outpouring. We had all kinds of people calling.”
A Washington, D.C., man whose late mother had been a resident at the nursing home shipped 200 face shields and 350 N95 masks, considered effective against the highly contagious coronavirus.
“He wouldn’t take a penny for them,” said McKenzie, who estimates the value at several thousand dollars because of the inflated prices the scarce products are commanding.
Background: Nursing homes ask state to help with soaring costs of masks, gloves
David McKenzie models a shield made by a Jordan Center staffer out of a 2-liter plastic soda bottle.
David McKenzie models a shield made by a Jordan Center staffer out of a 2-liter plastic soda bottle. (Photo: The Jordan Center)
A women’s sewing group from a Louisa church offered to make as many masks as needed for the nursing home, McKenzie said. A plumber’s union donated more N95 masks, and another company donated about 100 devices designed to make masks fit more comfortably for staff who must wear them constantly.
And on Sunday, Dr. Muhammad Babar, a Louisville physician involved with nonprofit groups Doctors for Healthy Communities and the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Decent of North America, called McKenzie to offer him 250 N95 masks.
McKenzie, who had traveled to Frankfort on Sunday to pick up 12 gallons of free hand sanitizer at Buffalo Trace Distillery, went to Babar’s home in Louisville to get the masks.
McKenzie got an enthusiastic welcome when he returned to the nursing home Monday with the goods he’d collected over the weekend.
“My staff were thrilled,” he said. “It was like Santa Claus coming in.”
McKenzie said the outpouring of help left him in tears and with renewed appreciation for the kindness of people.
“So much human kindness,” he said. “It’s been amazing.”
But McKenzie said he still believes nursing homes across the state need help with soaring costs of such products and other expenses amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit nursing homes especially hard. He and other nursing homes report spending more than $100,000 a month on such items.
The state’s two main nursing home associations have asked the administration of Gov. Andy Beshear for a temporary rate increase, using additional Medicaid funds the federal government is giving states during the pandemic.
The state has increased reimbursement for nursing homes caring for COVID-19 patients but has declined further increases, saying it needs to preserve Medicaid money to cover growing costs of the federal-state health plan that covers low-income individuals, those with disabilities and people in nursing homes who can’t afford care.
“If there’s not help from the federal or state government, I’m running out of places to go,” McKenzie said. “I keep thinking in the back of my mind, surely the government won’t let us go down.”
Louisville Courier Journal
This is beautiful.
I’d like to personally thank everyone who donated, thank you😄❤️
That is good cause they have had 8 residence die there since March and a staff member test positive for COVID-19 but the owners still are not testing anyone. Our health department needs to pay attention and do more. Nothing other than smoke and mirrors are being done.
Was that the person who tested positive for COVID-19, from Lawrence County? If not, something should be done!!
Thanks for all you do