An outbreak of COVID-19 has claimed the life of eight residents of a senior living facility in Wylie.
One family is grateful for a positive end to a scary few weeks but also expresses worry about the ongoing threat.
Nash House said her grandfather went from his home at Garnet Hill Rehabilitation and Skilled Care in Wylie to the hospital battling COVID-19 for three weeks.
NBC 5 first spoke with House in mid-August.
“My grandfather’s heart rate went from the 50s to the 40s and it goes as low as 28,” she said. “They were telling us to go ahead and make arraignments because his heart rate was so low at that time. We thought we were going to be the next time seeing him was in a casket.”
Fortunately, that was not the case.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“We prayed for a miracle and we got the miracle,” she said. “He has made a full recovery.”
The 85-year-old is back in his senior care facility where concern continues for this family and others as Garnet Hill faces an ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.
As many as 38 residents have contracted the virus, according to numbers provided by the facility.
A spokesperson told NBC 5 on Wednesday that eight of their residents have died, adding all eight had COVID-19 and other underlying health conditions.
11 residents currently have the virus, including two who are hospitalized, according to the facility.
House and other families have expressed frustration about how the facility has handled COVID-19.
“They need to start holding themselves accountable for what has taken place,” said House.
The facility’s spokesperson released the following statement to NBC 5.
"We continue to hear from several family members offering support, asking questions, or expressing concerns. We appreciate these families for reaching out to us, and we encourage all family members not to hesitate to contact us at any time. We want to answer any questions and address any concerns you might have. Any family can reach out to the Administrator directly at Administrator@GarnetHillRehab.com. We continue to frequently update our family members on the COVID status of the facility”.
The facility also said most COVID-positive residents had no symptoms and many recovered quickly thanks in part to daily assessments.
The facility said it expects cases will continue to drop in the coming weeks.
Click here to learn about COVID-19 cases at state-supported living centers, state hospitals, nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities.
*Map locations are approximate, central locations for the city and are not meant to indicate where actual infected people live.
