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The parent of a 1-year-old living at the Wanaque Center said his son lived in unsanitary conditions for months while he was receiving care in a long-term care facility in New Jersey where a serious viral outbreak claimed the lives of seven children and was infected. eleven others.
The state Department of Health is currently conducting an investigation into the deadly epidemic of adenovirus at the Wanaque Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Haskell.
The mother, who requested anonymity because she fears retaliation from the institution, told NJ Advance Media that her son, in a coma for an unrelated health problem, had been admitted for the first time to this facility in July for long-term rehabilitation treatment.
Unsanitary conditions, she said, were apparent almost immediately.
"The conditions are very dirty," she said. "There is mold in the bathroom, the cradles of the children are rusty, and where they place the fan, it is also rusty."
She also recorded a video clip showing the walls of a room teeming with ants. She said it was the room where her son had been housed during his stay in the school.
"The rooms are full of ants, full of all kinds of insects, and once I found an ant near my son's bed," she said.
She said that there had been times when her son's dirty diaper would not be changed until hours later.
"They often leave (him) a dirty diaper," she said. "My son had so many rashes … They did not arrive until two o'clock, so my son is with a dirty diaper for two hours – full."
The parent also provided NJ Advance Media with photos of the room taken earlier this month showing some of the conditions described by her.
She said many of the center's employees provide quality care and are very professional. But she also alleged that many of the staff often did not take health precautions when working in her son's room, including not wearing gowns or gloves.
"Some of the staff are actually good workers, but most of them do not wash their hands," she said. "They are two patients in a room, they go from patient to patient without washing their hands."
She added that the drinking water also came from a rusty sink.
The woman stated that her concerns had been ignored when she mentioned them.
"They would be angry when a parent is concerned," she said.
The school treats children who are medically fragile and whose immune system is compromised and who often require constant supervision and care.
She added that her one – year – old son, who was not infected with the virus, has since been transferred to a hospital while the investigation into the outbreak is continuing.
The center will remain closed to new patients until "the outbreak ends and they are in full compliance," said a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Health.
The Wanaque Center is a for-profit facility with 227 beds. In its latest health inspection report, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rated the establishment as "below average". The 2017 report indicated that the facility "failed to ensure that infection control practices were followed."
Other parents have expressed concerns about the activities of the institution, particularly with regard to its response to the epidemic.
Paula Costigan, a Boonton resident whose 14 – year – old son is receiving long – term care at the Wanaque Center, told NJ Advance Media that she had learned of the existence of the school. epidemic than more than a week after its reporting to the public health authorities. .
It is unclear when the virus broke out, but the Ministry of Health said it was informed of a respiratory illness on October 9th.
Costigan said she had not heard of the outbreak before October 18th.
However, Rowena Bautista, director of the Wanaque Center, told NJ Advance Media that the facility "immediately informed all relevant government agencies when the virus was identified."
Bautista did not respond to an email asking for comments on the alleged conditions in the institution.
Spencer Kent can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the NJ.com site on Facebook.
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