FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) - Our Digging Deeper team has been examining for months, the number of COVID-19 cases at long-term care facilities.
ABC21 has uncovered inconsistencies in the transparency of nursing homes - transparency that would show where, when, and how many infections happen.
ABC21 does know - from new data released by the State Department of Health - that nearly half of the COVID-19 related deaths in Indiana are at long-term care facilities.
Life Care Center, in Fort Wayne, is where ABC21's investigation began. It is where ABC21 reported on one of the first nursing home outbreaks in Fort Wayne.
Now, with 2,078 (as of 6/5/20) COVID-19 deaths in the state, 945 (as of 6/1/20) of those are at long-term care facilities.
The Federal Government is now releasing data for all facilities across the country, but ABC21 has found inconsistencies with the numbers - at least, in Indiana.
In early April, Life Care Center reported a COVID-19 outbreak. At the time, 6 people inside tested positive.
Thursday, in the newly released Federal Government data, it showed 25 total infections and 13 COVID-19 deaths.
ABC21's Digging Deeper team went searching for answers, trying to pinpoint the number of cases at all long-term care facilities in our viewing area.
Despite the federal agency's decision to publish confirmed COVDI-19 information, including cases and deaths at long-term care facilities, many county governments didn't feel the data was appropriate to share.
ABC21 asked everyone in our region for that information. Only Wells county provided what ABC21 requested. Steuben, Noble, Allen, Huntington, Adams, and Jay counties told us they wouldn't share that information with us. Lagrange, DeKalb, Whitley, Kosciusko, and Wabash county health officials didn't respond to our requests.
“I think that’s wrong. I think there is a better way. People fear what they don’t know, people need more clarity to this information so that families, so that residents can effectively deal and make the best decision for the family," said Andy Eby, the co-owner of Bickford Senior Living.
Eby spoke with ABC21 back in April, his properties were among the first long term care facilities in northeast Indiana to publish the data - and did so, on their own. ABC21 wanted his reaction to the new figures released by the Federal Government.
“It’s a great thing for the industry, for the communities we serve,” said Eby.
The Federal Government released the data Thursday, with hopes to increase transparency. After ABC21 took a closer look, it turned up several discrepancies.
The number of COVID-19 cases at facilities ABC21's Digging Deeper team already had the numbers for, were inconsistent with the federal data.
American Senior Communities has been publishing COVID-19 cases on their facilities websites for more than two weeks.
For example, on Bethlehem Woods website they are reporting a total of 84 COVID-19 cases…23 resident deaths, 39 recovered residents, 21 recovered employees, and 1 active case.
However, on the federal website, those numbers are nowhere to be found.
The data on the CMS website shows there is only 2 COVID-19 cases at Bethlehem Woods, an incomplete data set.
But other long term care facilities on the site do have complete data, like Life Care Center.
Despite the discrepancies, Eby said "It’s absolutely a step in the right direction. You have to make movements towards transparency, you have to make movements toward data in reporting accuracy. Unless that information is not out there we can’t say that we believe that information is incorrect.”
Eby added, he still believes transparency needs to be embraced by everyone.
ABC21 will continue to follow this investigation and press for anwsers to get accurate data at all the long-term care facilities in Northeast Indiana.
RELATED: https://wpta21.com/2020/05/06/hundreds-attend-drive-thru-visitation-for-beloved-veteran/
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June 06, 2020 at 09:19AM
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Federal agency makes long-term care facility COVID-19 info public, has inaccuracies - wpta21.com
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