A nursing home in Rocky Hill has recently been reported to have been prohibited from accepting new residents following the discovery of the state Department of Public Health that it was providing its residents with contaminated water and failed to address the problem properly.
According to a Hartford Courant report, DPH announced, water at Apple Rehab, which is home to about 64 residents, tested positive for Legionella. Legionella is a bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease, an illness akin to pneumonia.
The said report specified that an emergency order from DPH necessitates a few actions which include the prohibition of new residents, required use of bottled water, having all residents tested for contamination, additional sampling, water management review, decontamination, and a plan of amendment by Friday.
Shortcomings of the Nursing Home
The health department said that it noted a number of failures within the said Rocky Hill nursing home. These failures, said the DPH, included, "but were not limited to" failure of maintaining a water management plan to alleviate the risk of Legionella as well as other waterborne pathogens.
The nursing home was said to have failed to establish and maintain infection prevention and program designed to offer a safe, hygienic, and comfortable environment to help in the prevention of the development and spread of waterborne pathogen illnesses and infection.
The NBC CT reported that according to Karen Donorfio, VP of operations for Apple Rehab, which runs nursing homes across Connecticut, the facility is working closely with the DPH and it complies with all recommendations to guarantee water safety through a water management plan.
She added, the present water management program guarantees the use of safe water all the time and that their residents', staff's and visitors' safety is their priority.
Legionnaire's Disease Symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Legionnaire's disease is a severe type of pneumonia or lung infection resulting from Legionella bacteria.
As specified in the CDC report, one can get ill when he breathes in small droplets of water or accidentally drinks water that contains Legionella and swallows it into his lungs.
Among the signs and symptoms to observe include cough, fever, shortness of breath, headaches, and muscle aches. In addition, Legionnaire's disease can be linked to other symptoms as well, like nausea, confusion, and diarrhea.
Symptoms typically begin two to 10 days from exposure to the bacteria, although it can take longer so it is essential to watch for signs for approximately two weeks from exposure.
Treatment and Prevention
The DPH said that Medicare and Medicaid directed nursing homes in 2017 and 2018 to create policies that constrain microbial growth in building water systems that lessen the risk of growth, as well as transmission of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in water.
Exposure to Legionella can lead to Legionnaires' disease, which as earlier mentioned, the CDC describes as something similar to pneumonia with symptoms as specified above.
Individuals who contract the disease are required to take antibiotics. In most cases of this infection can be treated effectively.
Healthy people typically get better after being ill with the disease, although they frequently need care in the hospital, according to the CDC.
About one out of every 10 people who turn ill with Legionnaires' disease are likely to die due to complications from their illness.
Meanwhile, for people who contract Legionnaire's disease during their stay in a health care facility, approximately one in every four people are likely to die from the disease.
A similar report is shown on WFSB 3's YouTube video below:
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