Unlike in the first wave, the affected institutions are now spread across the country. For example, the Dekelhem nursing home in Gieten in Drenthe has been dealing with at least 56 infections among residents and staff since Christmas. 31 of the total of 86 residents contracted the virus in recent weeks, reports RTV Drenthe. Three people have died.
“Very sad”, says a spokesperson for the healthcare institution that covers Dekelhem. The institution was spared during the first wave, but has now had to set up special covid units. “This is drastic for both residents and employees.”
‘Not so strange’
Similar trouble spots can now be seen everywhere, says Jacqueline de Groot in it NOS Radio 1 News. She is chairman of Verenso, the association of specialists in geriatric medicine. “It is limited to certain regions where it is more severe than others, but they are scattered throughout the country, with indeed dramatic stories from the north.”
The peak of infections in nursing homes is sad news, but not surprising according to De Groot. “When you consider that a nursing home is part of society and that the infection rates in society are also high, it is not surprising that it also increases enormously in the nursing home. Visitors and employees are part of society and through them it also becomes the home. nursing home. “
Close contact
The staff often have close contact with residents. They often need help getting out of bed, showering, eating and using the toilet. But that does not mean that employees are also the main source of infections, says De Groot. “Because family members often also help with the care. In addition, visitors do not follow the rules properly. Some take off their mouth masks.”
During the first wave there was much criticism of the lack of protective equipment in nursing homes, such as mouth masks. There are now enough protective agents and there are also sufficient test materials. De Groot: “There is much more testing and much more use is made of protective agents such as mouth and nose masks and aprons. But that is very difficult for some target groups. You can imagine that the use of protective agents for people with dementia “They don’t always work well because people don’t understand what’s going on around them. That also entails risks. They can grab someone just like that. Sometimes they also find it scary when they can’t see someone’s face.”
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