We collected the testimony of a person whose mother is taken care of in the unit dedicated to Alzheimer’s patients at the Ehpad Champmaillot, in Dijon. She claims that the reality of her state of health was hidden from her for a while before it was recognized that she was infected with the coronavirus.
“We have not seen her since the beginning of March since we no longer had visit authorization. To hear from her, we called twice a week, tells this person who prefers to remain anonymous. From the end of March, we no longer managed to get them by phone. No one answered us anymore. The health executive was no longer responding, nor was the service. So the concern was growing. “
“Tuesday [14 avril], we had someone on the phone who told us there was nothing to worry about, that everything was fine. We were told that my mom was taking a nap and that we couldn’t talk to her […] But my mom never naps during the day. She is even quite active. So I started to have doubts. I tried to call back an hour later, with great difficulty as usual. After a while I had the health executive who gave me the same answer.“
But this resident’s family member is not satisfied with these answers. Through an employee of the structure, he learns that his mother’s state of health is more worrying than indicated. He then recalls the health executive. “We get into a very muscular discussion where I get after thirty minutes admitting that things are not going well at all, that my mother tested positive at Covid more than four days ago “, says this close.
What sets us apart is not that the residents and my mother caught the Covid. Unfortunately, this is the case for many people in Ehpad at the moment. But there is a total non respect of families. They are supposed to warn us, even if they cannot do it within the hour or the same day.
The families’ lack of information, or in any case the delay, would concern several residents of the unit contaminated by the coronavirus, according to this testimony. “On Wednesday, I again had the doctor on the phone to whom I asked the question ‘did you warn the other families?’. The answer was no.”
A different testimony
But the feeling of families is not necessarily unanimous, in these difficult times. After reading the first testimony, Annie Gambon contacted us to share with us a completely different experience. “I absolutely want to defend Champmaillot, they are extraordinary people. I respect all the testimonies but I totally disagree with the comments made.” And she says:
My mom was feverish, and I was immediately notified by the service manager. It turned out that she is positive at Covid 19 and here again I was informed by a doctor that she was going to be transferred. (…) His condition deteriorated rapidly, and I was informed of all this the next day. I am sorry that we can question a dedicated staff, which puts itself in danger, which is on the verge of exhaustion and which continues despite everything to reassure us as best they can …
CHU reacts
The Dijon University Hospital Center (CHU), on which the Ehpad Champmaillot depends, reacted to our requests in writing. He recalls having adapted his organizations with reinforced hygiene measures to limit the spread of the virus.
“Spontaneous transmission of information relating to a resident is ensured by the center’s medical and nursing teams and at the request of families. In the event of signs suggesting a coronavirus infection, a doctor provides information to families. However, given the sometimes very rapid development of symptoms associated with Covid-19, a certain delay, often anxiety-provoking, between the moment of suspicion and that of the availability of the diagnosis (the time of screening, ie 48 hours) can thus intervene “, explains the CHU.
“As such, we are not aware at our level of the individual situation which you take over. However, the asymmetry of information raised calls for special vigilance and we would like to remind those close to our residents that CHU professionals are at the complete disposal of families wishing to obtain additional information. “
The hospital adds to work “to an institutionalization of the information transmitted to families in order to facilitate coordination, even at a distance, between relatives and the medical and nursing teams of the center and thus facilitate the transfer of reliable and clear elements.“
In other establishments, families have also reported an omerta on the situation of their loved ones. For example in Saint-Jean-de-Losne, where there were 25 deaths from the Covid-19 at the Ehpad “La Saône” on April 8.
But the disease can progress extremely quickly. “Families have a hard time understanding that they are warned at the last moment, but it’s going very quickly. Yes, 24 hours before we can say that it’s fine. I had the case with a family. The gentleman’s wife told me called. It was okay. Ten minutes later, he was dead “, Explained to us a nurse, on condition of anonymity.
We also interviewed the Regional Health Agency to find out whether any dysfunctions in the Dijon structure had been brought to his attention. It does not wish to comment on a particular establishment and ensures that its teams best support all of the structures in the region.
The coronavirus epidemic killed 386 people in nursing homes in the region, according to data arrested on April 14 and published by Santé Publique France on Friday. Many residents have been infected: 29% in Doubs, 26% in Côte-d’Or.
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