JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Family members said their loved one died Monday evening at a Jacksonville nursing home that has reported more coronavirus-related deaths than any other long-term care facility in Northeast Florida.
Officials with Signature Healthcare of Jacksonville on the Westside said Tuesday that 15 residents had died from complications of COVID-19.
On Monday, Signature Healthcare reported 13 resident deaths at its Jacksonville facility.
Family told News4Jax that Joan Wilson died Monday at age 68 from COVID-19-related complications at Signature Healthcare of Jacksonville.
“She’s my mother’s sister," explained Kelly Doty, Wilson’s niece. “She was happy.”
Doty recalled her conversation with her niece Monday night.
“My niece called me from Atlanta and she said, “Aunt Kelly, have you seen the link from Channel 4 news?” Doty said. “My niece called me from Atlanta and said, ‘Aunt Kelly, have you seen the link from Channel 4 News?’ I said, ‘Joan is fine. I just talked to her last week and I talked to the nurse and I said, “Please call me if anything comes up. Let me know what’s going on.”' ... Her phone went missing apparently when they moved her from her room into isolation.”
Doty said during that conversation with her niece, her aunt was slipping away.
“I got a call last night, after talking to my niece and reassuring her everything was fine, (at) 8:30, ‘Hello, we’re calling to inform you your aunt passed away,’" Doty told News4Jax on Tuesday.
Doty said Wilson was asymptomatic, and nurses told her that she was doing fine in isolation.
“There was a total of four patients in her room: her and three other people," Doty said. “Call me. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. It’s my mom’s only sister. She could have said goodbye to her. We would have known something was happening, but the whole week we’re thinking everything was fine because everything was fine last week when we called. They said if any changes were made, they would call us and let us know. We get a death call. A death call, that’s what I am calling it.”
INTERACTIVE: Tracking coronavirus cases at Northeast Florida long-term care facilities
News4Jax reached out to Signature Healthcare with several questions, including what “isolation” means. Signature Healthcare referred News4JAx to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, but did say, in part:
“Generally speaking, this means the residents would be put in ‘droplet isolation’ and staff would use the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the spread of a virus through respiratory droplets that can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing or talking. Staff wear N95 masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection. Decisions regarding patient placement are made on a case-by-case basis considering infection risks to other patients in the room and available alternatives.”
As for Wilson, Signature Healthcare said it could not release information on her case at this time due to privacy laws.
According to a Tuesday report from the Florida Department of Health, 42 residents at Signature Healthcare of Jacksonville have tested positive for COVID-19 and another 31 residents who tested positive have been transferred elsewhere. In addition, 36 staff members have tested positive.