Dozens test positive in new COVID-19 outbreak at Raleigh nursing home

Three dozen people connected to Litchford Falls Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center have tested positive for the coronavirus, data from state health officials show.

The Raleigh nursing home, which has received an “average” federal quality rating, is one of three Wake County elder-care facilities with a new outbreak, according to the data made public Tuesday by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The department updates information about outbreaks in congregate-care settings like nursing homes and assisted-living facilities on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Sixteen staff members and 20 residents at Litchford Falls caught the virus, the data show.

Smaller outbreaks were reported Tuesday at Cary Health and Rehabilitation, a nursing home where two staff members tested positive, and Sunrise of North Hills, an assisted-living facility where one staff member and two residents tested positive.

Wednesday, Wake County announced an outbreak at The Oaks at Whitaker Glen-Mayview in Raleigh. A press release reports staff members tested positive at the facility, which is on East Whitaker Mill Road. The county did not provide additional information about how many are affected.

The state health department defines an outbreak as two or more cases among staff and/or residents.

Cary Health and Rehabilitation has a “much below average” federal quality rating.

Assisted-living facilities like Sunrise of North Hills are much less regulated than nursing homes and do not receive quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They do, however, get a rating from the state health department. Sunrise of North Hills received two out of four stars.

On Wednesday, Wake County disclosed another new outbreak. Staff tested positive at The Oaks at Whitaker Glen-Mayview, the county said in a news release. The nursing home is rated “above average.”

The coronavirus pandemic has devastated elder-care facilities across the country, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

About 42% of the deaths due to the virus across the country are linked to long-term care facilities, The New York Times has found.

The proportion is even higher in North Carolina. Nursing home residents alone make up 48% of the 1,420 deaths due to COVID-19, according to the latest state data. Assisted-living residents account for another 8%.

Experts say that frail residents, close living quarters and difficulty accessing personal protective equipment and testing have contributed to the particularly high death toll in nursing homes.

Quality measures haven’t proven to be a good predictor of where there will be an outbreak, according to recent research.

Outbreaks largely reflect the prevalence of the virus in the surrounding community, researchers say, and the number of outbreaks in the Triangle has been growing.

Wake County outbreaks

More than half of the nursing homes in Wake County currently have an outbreak, state data show.

Capital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh is on its second. One staff member and one resident recently tested positive. In the earlier outbreak, two staff members caught the virus.

State health officials declare an outbreak over when there has been no evidence of the virus spreading within the facility for 28 days.

Here’s a rundown of the county’s other ongoing outbreaks.

At Hillside Nursing Center of Wake Forest, two staff and 11 residents have tested positive.

At PruittHealth-Raleigh, three staff have tested positive.

At Sunnybrook Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh, 14 staff and 34 residents have tested positive. Six residents have died.

At The Laurels of Forest Glenn in Garner, six staff and 20 residents have tested positive. Three staff have died. State data earlier showed that one staff member died, but that information was inaccurate.

At Tower Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh, two staff members have tested positive.

At UNC Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center of Apex, 14 staff members and 26 residents have tested positive. Four residents have died.

At UNC Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center of Raleigh, 10 staff members and 13 residents have tested positive.

At Wellington Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Knightdale, 41 staff member and 40 residents have tested positive. Fourteen residents have died.

At Windsor Point Continuing Care Retirement Community in Fuquay-Varina, eight staff members and 16 residents have tested positive. Four residents have died.

At Brookdale Wake Forest, one staff member and 12 residents have tested positive. Three residents have died.

At Brookridge Assisted Living in Apex, two staff members and nine residents have tested positive.

At Heartfields at Cary, two residents have tested positive.

At Sunrise at North Hills, one staff member and two residents have tested positive.

At Waltonwood Cary Parkway, one staff member and one resident have tested positive.

Durham County outbreaks

At Carver Living Center, 28 staff members and 80 residents have tested positive. Ten residents have died.

At Pettigrew Rehabilitation Center, one staff member and one resident have tested positive.

At The Cedars of Chapel Hill, two staff members have tested positive.

At Treyburn Rehabilitation Center, 26 staff members and 75 residents have tested positive. Twenty-two residents have died.

At Brookdale Durham, one staff member and three residents have tested positive.

At Camellia Gardens, two staff members have tested positive.

Orange County outbreaks

At Parkview Health and Rehabilitation Center in Chapel Hill, three staff members and two residents have tested positive.

At PruittHealth-Carolina Point in Durham, 25 staff members and 89 residents have tested positive. Twenty residents have died.

At Signature HealthCARE in Chapel Hill, 21 staff members and 63 residents have tested positive. Twenty residents have died.

At The Stratford in Chapel Hill, one staff member and three residents have tested positive.

This story was originally published July 8, 2020 at 12:07 PM.