LANGLEY -- A second COVID-19 outbreak at a Langley seniors’ home has turned deadly.
Three residents of Langley Lodge have died after 22 residents were infected with the virus, as well as four staff members.
“We were absolutely shocked,” Jo-anne Morris said in an interview with CTV News Vancouver.
Morris says she learned of the growing number of infections on social media and wants to know why the facility wasn’t updating families sooner, even when families were calling and asking for information.
“We were trying to get answers and basically the answers were, `We can’t talk about it. You would know if it’s your parent,’” Morris said.
Her mom, 86-year-old Peggy Mason, lives at the home.
“She said to me the other day, ‘I want to hug you and when I do I’m never going to let go,’” Morris said, explaining that her mom has dementia and has had difficulty understanding why her family isn’t visiting.
“We have seen a decline in her from the stress she’s had to bear (because) she can’t see us.”
Morris says the nurses provide wonderful care, but in this difficult time, families need more than ever to be kept informed.
“Why weren’t we told that there’s people dying? Why weren’t we told that there’s 22 cases?” Morris asks. “If we knew, maybe we could build a support group or talk to each other.”
Fraser Health’s chief medical health officer says it’s unfortunate if families are not getting up-to-date information.
“Technically, people should be informed quickly about what is happening at the site,” said Dr. Martin Lavoie.
The first outbreak at Langley Lodge was discovered on March 30. A short time after it was declared over, another staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
The outbreak is in a health region that has struggled to implement a March order from the province prohibiting care workers from working at more than one facility. But Fraser Health says Langley Lodge, of its own volition, put the single-site policy in place before the first outbreak, and it has remained in effect.
Fraser Health says it brought in enhanced control measures and extra support to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the home.
Still, a second outbreak has worried families asking how it could have happened.
Morris and others with family members living at Langley Lodge are hoping there are no more infections and that they will soon be able to see their loved ones again.
“We want to hold our mom’s hand. We want to hug her. We want to be with her,” said Morris.