San Antonio resident Steve Lopez and his wife visit his mother-in-law at Poet’s Walk in Round Rock at least once a week. But Lopez said he is prepared to limit those visits should it mean keeping a loved one safe from the sometimes deadly coronavirus.
“Whenever we’re not feeling food, we don’t come visit because we don’t want to get them (seniors) sick,” he said.
On Thursday afternoon, Lopez guided his mother-in-law Frieda Kirkpatrick and another resident, Bill Thompson, in solving a word search puzzle at the assisted living center. Outside, fears about the local spread of the virus loomed.
“My wife and I come to visit and talk to all the residents,” Lopez said. “We just try to keep everyone entertained. We know everybody needs to laugh and feel good about what’s going on.”
The coronavirus has caused a global health concern, with at least 92,000 cases and 3,100 deaths worldwide. As of Tuesday, at least 60 cases have been confirmed across 12 states, and nine people have died from the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Texas has at least 10 infected people under quarantine in San Antonio and three cases of the virus in the Houston area, state officials said.
Lopez said he worries about visitors to the senior center who might be sick or who don’t practice good hygiene.
“I’m always worried about that,” he said. “If you have a cold or any virus, stay away. My family members know senior immune systems are weak, so we know to stay away. We’ve done that in the past.”
Executive Director Christine Moss said the center, which serves 35 seniors, is staying up to date on preventative measures for the virus. Among those are washing residents’ hands before eating and during activities, regularly wiping down hard surfaces and ensuring residents stay hydrated.
She said should someone from the Round Rock community contract the virus, the center will ramp up its efforts to ensure protection for its residents.
She encourages visitors to avoid the center if they are sick or have been around others who may be susceptible to illness.
“If they’re having symptoms like fever, cough or congestion, we’re asking that they do not visit and wait until they’ve been free of those symptoms for at least 48 hours,” she said.
Though most activities at the center have not been affected, Moss said the center is limiting resident outings, including visits to the grocery store.
“We’re doing more scenic drives, ” she said. “We usually like to go out and explore. But knowing that exploring sometimes leaves us a little susceptible, we are limiting what those outings look like.”
Moss said family members of residents have raised concerns about the virus.
“Even with the flu, there is always a concern, so we are very vigilant,” she said.
In Pflugerville, staff at the Pflugerville Health Care Center, a nursing home and rehabilitation center for seniors, is stocking up on supplies like masks, gowns, extra gloves and hand sanitizer.
Kimberly Mayfield, director of nursing at the center, said infection control and monitoring patients for symptoms is a constant practice for the center.
“It’s our normal precautions for any kind of virus,” she said, pointing to signs posted at the front entrance asking anyone with symptoms to refrain from coming into the facility. “It’s not anything different because we’re used to doing that.”
Scott Lundy, owner of Wells Point Lodge assisted living center in Pflugerville, said he is also reinforcing hand washing and hygiene. He’s also recommending anyone who has traveled abroad in the last two weeks to postpone their visit to the center for at least two weeks.
“We continue to monitor the health and well-being of our residents and staff members and will continue to monitor alerts from both the Texas Department of State Health Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as new information becomes available,” he said in an emailed statement.
Lopez said he hopes visitors stay vigilant, and think about their family and friends.
“We want to keep everybody safe,” he said. “If we all do our part, this should pass and go away.”
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