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Resident dies as COVID-19 spreads in Lake Zurich assisted living center

The COVID-19 virus is spreading through a Lake Zurich assisted living facility, leading to a resident's death Friday, supply shortages and a shortage of healthy employees.

Officials with the company that manages Cedar Lake Assisted Living & Memory Care, 777 Church St., are asking for the public's help to prevent the crisis there from getting worse.

The facility needs 1,000 masks, 1,000 medical gowns and 5,000 gloves to get by, said William Swearingen, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Denver-based Spectrum Retirement Communities.

Cedar Lake also needs trained personnel who can fill in for staff members who have the virus or suspect they are ill, said James Robinson, the company's senior director of resident and risk management.

Registered nurses are especially needed because, under state law, only they can provide medication to residents.

Robinson and his team want greater access to tests for the virus, too, so employees who suspect they may be sick can know for sure whether to stay home or continue working.

"We don't want to put someone back in the (nursing home) community who has even a potential for bringing it into the community and infecting the most vulnerable population," Robinson said.

But other substitute workers also are needed for building maintenance and other tasks, he said.

An exacerbated staffing shortage will contribute to the situation becoming "an even worse scenario," Robinson said.

Anyone who can provide any of the personal protective equipment Cedar Lake needs or is able to work at the facility is asked to email Swearingen at wswearingen@spectrumretirement.com.

Lake County Health Department officials announced Friday they're monitoring clusters of cases at five long-term care facilities. The five centers have a combined 20 positive COVID-19 cases, according to a news release from the department.

County officials wouldn't identify the centers or confirm Cedar Lake is among those being monitored.

Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister called the increase in cases at care facilities "deeply concerning."

Cedar Lake has 65 residents. Its staff total has dropped from 73 to 58 since the outbreak began.

The first Cedar Lake resident tested positive for the COVID-19 virus Monday, Swearingen said. Four others have since tested positive.

A total of 17 residents are in isolation, Swearingen said. A female resident died Friday.

As for the staff, two workers have tested positive. One is an office worker who encounters residents but isn't a caregiver, Swearingen said, while the other is a part-time kitchen staff member. Both received positive test results Wednesday, he said.

Two other workers are presumed to have the virus, he said. Four additional employees who thought they might have the disease have been cleared.

Some workers have quit out of fear, according to an email from Spectrum.

Asking employees who may become exposed to the disease to stay isolated at home for 14 days as a preventive measure quickly would leave no one to care for residents, Robinson said.

When asked if Cedar Lake is in danger of closing because of the staff shortage, Swearingen said "not at this point." Residents are receiving care, he said.

People who have relatives living at Cedar Lake shouldn't remove them from the center, Swearingen said.

"Taking that loved one out of the community creates significant risk of safety to the loved one, to them and to others," he said.

Pfister said the county health department is providing guidance to long-term care facilities to ensure they take precautions to avoid spreading the virus.

A county crisis team spokesman said officials also are working to ensure facilities have enough protective gear to protect residents and staff. They're aware of staff shortages at care facilities, too, and are working on solutions.

Swearingen confirmed speaking with the department about the crisis Friday. Even so, he said he and his team feel "stranded and alone."

He urged people to take the pandemic seriously and to avoid close contact with others.

"This is spreading because of people who are refusing to adhere to recommendations," he said. "They are the parties responsible. And the rest of us are paying the price for it."

• Daily Herald staff writer Mick Zawislak contributed to this report.

  A sign instructs visitors on how to enter Cedar Lake Assisted Living & Memory Care in Lake Zurich, where the COVID-19 virus is spreading. The facility is experiencing shortages of supplies and healthy employees. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  Officials with the company that manages Cedar Lake Assisted Living & Memory Care in Lake Zurich are asking for the public's help to prevent the COVID-19 crisis there from getting worse. Personal protective equipment and healthy workers are needed. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
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