Valley woman sounds alarm about Palm Desert nursing home coronavirus care as mother tests positive
A valley woman is raising concerns about the Palm Desert nursing facility where her parents are staying, saying their staff didn't take basic coronavirus prevention measures. Her mother tested positive for the virus Monday.
"I don't understand why the facility hasn’t done their part to protect her, and to protect others as well," said Anna Gardea, speaking out on behalf of her mother, Rosalie Gardea, a resident at the Monterey Palms nursing facility.
Gardea is a three-time cancer survivor, breathing with just one lung. She's at extremely high risk for respiratory complications.
"My mom has stated that numerous nurses have been back and forth to her room not wearing gloves, not wearing masks," Anna Gardea said. "She’s told them, 'Don't come in my room for any of my treatment unless you guys have masks on.'"
Anna Gardea, an emergency room worker herself, says her mom feared that the care staff at Monterey Palms weren't taking enough precautions. Just last week, she said they allowed her, while showing symptoms, to spend more than half an hour with her husband who lives in a separate part of the facility.
"At that time, she was already starting to feel sick, shortness of breath, chills, fever, and nothing was done to protect my father from her as well," Gardea said.
After a week and a half of her mom being symptomatic, she said the lack of urgency to get a test was stunning.
"They said, 'Well, we’re going to order a test. It’ll take about 3 days to get here, and then we’ll send it back out,'" Gardea said. "I said, 'Absolutely not – send her to the E.R. get her tested!"
A spokeswoman for Monterey Palms said in a statement to News Channel 3 their nurses are required to wear masks at all times, and gloves during direct patient care. She wouldn't comment on Gardea's care specifically.
Gardea said there's more the staff should have done to keep her mom from getting sick. She's now fearing the worst: "that my mother's not going to pull through, that my mother will pass from this.
Rosalie is now in isolation at Monterey Palms after returning from the emergency room Monday. Four people have tested positive there so far.
You can reach Jake on Twitter, Facebook or email him at jake.ingrassia@kesq.com.
