Lockhart nursing homes record first deaths of the pandemic

By Kristen Meriwether, Editor LPR

Chisolm Trail Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center both recorded their first resident death attributed to COVID the week of Jan. 10, according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data released Thursday. 

“Parkview is proud of their dedicated staff and their efforts to halt the progress of this virus and would like to express our deepest sympathies to those families or residents lost and affected by the virus,” an emailed statement from the facility said. 

A statement on the Chisolm Trail website dated Jan. 21 said the facility is caring for 23 COVID-positive residents at this time and has residents and team members who have tested positive. The statement does not mention any fatalities.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure we stop the spread of this within our center and our community,” the Chisolm Trail statement said. “Our infection control procedures are in compliance with the CDC and Texas Dept. of Health guidance. Our nursing staff is educated and understands the healthcare protocols for the COVID-19 quarantine and all emergency situations.”

The most recent increase in cases at Chisolm Trail began the week ending Jan. 3, when the facility reported two COVID-positive residents, according to CDC data. The following week the facility reported 13 resident cases. 

Staff cases have been increasing on a similar trend. The week ending Jan. 3, Chisolm Trail reported one staff member testing positive, and six the following week. The week ending Jan. 10 is the last week the data is available. 

Parkview has 10 cases of COVID at the facility—seven residents and three staff—according to a recording on their COVID phone line dated Jan 20. The recording does not mention any fatalities.

Parkview began seeing an increase in residents testing positive in mid-December, according to CDC data. For the week ending Dec. 13, the facility reported no cases, but jumped to 13 confirmed residents testing positive the following week. The facility reported 11 for the week ending Dec. 27, and five for each of the first two weeks in Jan. The week ending Jan. 10 is the last week the data is available. 

The most recent deaths in Lockhart bring the total COVID deaths in nursing homes in Caldwell County to 26. The majority of those deaths occurred in four Luling nursing homes over June and July. Nursing homes account for 44-percent of all Caldwell County deaths, which stood at 59 on Jan. 22. 

A Caldwell County official told LPR the facilities signed up for the federal pharmacy program to get vaccines for residents and employees, and that vaccines had already been distributed.

In their emailed statement, Parkview confirmed that all residents and active staff members had been offered the COVID vaccine through the use of a dedicated clinic day.

“A second clinic date has been set for February 1st and a third clinic date is currently pending the assignment by local authorities,” the Parkview statement said. “The facility has been in contact with resident family members to apprise them of the clinic date specifics.”

LPR reached out to Diversicare, the Chisholm Trail parent company, to inquire about deaths at the facility, as well as vaccines, but the company did not respond by press time.

LPR pulled the Caldwell County data from the larger CDC data set so residents can view the information themselves. Click below to see the data.