SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — Health officials say 78 percent of the patients at a long term care facility in the Cascade neighborhood of Atlanta have tested positive for COVID-19. Fifteen residents have died.
Yet, Arbor Terrace at Cascade is a clean and well-staffed facility in the city of South Fulton – according to Ron Loving, who placed both of his parents there less than a year ago.
"The staff was very attentive. We just thought it was an ideal place for them to be at 96 years old," said Loving, a retired 11Alive photographer.
But last week, his father Dr. Delutha King died from COVID-19. On the day of his burial, Loving’s mother Lois King also died from COVID-19.
"Even though my parents had their own separate apartment, they were in contact with other residents daily. And the staff. So you just don’t know," Loving explained.
According to Fulton County’s Board of Health, 15 residents of Arbor Terrace at Cascade have died from COVID-19. Forty-nine residents have tested positive – representing 78 percent of the current residents. A total of 31 staffers have also tested positive.
"It’s really just based on the vulnerable nature of the residents that live there, first of all," explained Dr. Elizabeth Ford, the interim director of the Fulton County health department. "They’re seniors and they're fragile. And the fact that staff are not residing staff, and they come in and out every day to care for the patients."
Dr. Ford said it's difficult for staff to adjust from a hands-on approach to the elderly folks under their care.
"The types of individuals that work in those types of long term care facilities are people that love elderly. So, they’re used to being very nurturing, even doing hair and you know, loving up on these folks," Ford explained. "So you’ve gone from being in that type of environment, to now almost having to manage as if you were working in a surgical suite."
A spokeswoman for the facility said the Arbor Terrace at Cascade “continues to focus on sanitizing and cleaning throughout the building. We have supplies of protective equipment, which includes masks goggle and gloves.”
The spokeswoman added residents – infected or not – are isolating themselves inside.
Loving said the facility was likely unprepared for the unprecedented pandemic.
"I’m not trying to offer blame on them. But they just weren’t supplied with the proper equipment to handle a situation like this," he said.
Meantime, health officials said a majority of those in the facility who have tested positive have shown no symptoms of COVID-19.