>> ageism is unique in targeting our future selves <<
“HALF OF CORONAVIRUS DEATHS HAPPEN IN CARE HOMES, DATA FROM EU SUGGESTS”
The Guardian on Second Eastern Day 2020
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Snapshot data from varying official sources shows that in Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium between 42% and 57% of deaths from the virus have been happening in homes, according to the report by academics based at the London School of Economics (LSE).
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ref: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/half-of-coronavirus-deaths-happen-in-care-homes-data-from-eu-suggests
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“22 RESIDENTS OF BETH SHALOM CARE CENTER SUCCUMBED TO CORONAVIRUS”
Het Parool on Second Eastern Day 2020
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The outbreak of the coronavirus in the Jewish care center Beth Shalom in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert has already caused 22 victims among the residents.
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ref: https://www.parool.nl/amsterdam/22-bewoners-zorgcentrum-beth-shalom-bezweken-aan-coronavirus~b81457dc/
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: “CORONAVIRUS: SENIORS WILL NEED TO LIMIT CONTACT FOR MONTHS MORE”
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Europe’s senior citizens will need to continue limiting their contact with the outside world at least until the end of this year due to the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. // Without a vaccine, seniors’ contacts need to be limited as much as possible, especially those who live in nursing homes, von der Leyen was quoted as saying in Sunday’s edition of the German daily Bild. // I know it’s difficult and that isolation is a burden, but it is a question of life or death, we have to remain disciplined and patient,” she said.
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ref: https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/106074/coronavirus-seniors-will-need-to-stay-put-for-many-more-months-eu-warns/
(*) Unlike other prejudices such as racism and sexism … ageism is unique in targeting our future selves
ref: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/14/the-ugly-truth-about-ageism-its-a-prejudice-targeting-our-future-selves
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post scriptum 1: the horror is also that in most cases it is not the neglect of the elderly by the staff, but the neglect in financing the elderly home facilities – from not enough and underpaid staff to lack of space and equipment – that can be pointed as the cause. Even worse in many cases the staff itself (and their relatives) have been put at risk for months with the coronavirus outbreak. On all levels of the care system for the elderly there was simply ‘no plan’ what to do in case of a contagious epidemic.
post scriptum 2: Machine translation of article in Het Parool 8 April 2020 with more details on elderly home The Jewish care center Beth Shalom in Amsterdam and the coronavirus outbreak, also nthe number of corona infections 900 in 2500 Dutch elderly care homes and proposed measures:
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The Jewish care center Beth Shalom in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert is mercilessly hit by the coronavirus: fifteen residents have already succumbed, presumably as a result of a violent outbreak that started at the end of March.
Marc Kruyswijk8 april 2020, 8:57
In addition to the high number of deaths, 22 residents of Beth Shalom are currently suspected of corona. After an exciting period, the health of three or four residents seems to recover very cautiously. In total, the care center has 120 nursing home places.
Beth Shalom says it has seen a stabilization in the number of suspected infections since last weekend. In most cases, testing is no longer carried out in the care center, because there are departments where several cases have surfaced at the same time.
Close community
A Cordaan spokesman, of which Beth Shalom is a part, says he has no explanation for the fact that the corona virus was able to strike in this care center. “If you recalculate from the start of the outbreak, you have to conclude that the first contamination occurred when the doors were still open and many people walked in and out.”
The residents and the care staff form a close-knit community where many Jewish traditions are celebrated. It is not uncommon for visitors to come and go in the house.
There are more than fifty apartments on the first and second floors. People with dementia live on the third, closed floor and on the fourth, the somatic ward is home to several dozen residents. There are also more than sixty sheltered homes.
Auschwitz
The care center with a strong Jewish identity is home to many Jewish residents who have lived an eventful life. Some of them survived Auschwitz, many lost relatives during World War II. There are also people who went into hiding during the war. In the past few days, death reports have been sent out in the Jewish community.
The coronavirus outbreak now precedes Passover, one of the most important festivals in Judaism. Passover commemorates the end of Jewish slavery in Egypt and the exodus from Egypt. These events are central to Jewish ethos.
This Passover, however, the corridors of Beth Shalom are controlled by personnel in protective clothing. Residents are kept in their own departments and rooms as much as possible.
Follow everything about the coronavirus in our live blog .
Isolate on site
There are ‘corona centers’ for infected residents of nursing homes, says a letter of 41 pages that Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge sent to the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening.
These are temporary care locations for ‘cohort nursing’. That term refers to the isolation of people with a certain disease.
The locations must offer a solution for situations in which it is impossible to nurse infected residents in isolation in their own nursing home, the minister writes.
RIVM director Jaap van Dissel said in a briefing to the House of Representatives on Wednesday morning that at least 900 of the 2500 nursing homes in the Netherlands have reported corona infections. He also said that the number of infections among caregivers has been decreasing more recently than among other populations.
Professional association V&VN states that many nurses do not dare to go to work, for fear of contamination. More than a thousand reports were received in a week. These come largely from nurses and carers in nursing homes, and from neighborhood nurses who visit the elderly at home.
Most reports are about lack of protective equipment. Some say they visit clients with store-bought masks, firework glasses and household gloves. That is unacceptable, according to V&VN.
The professional association speaks of a ‘silent drama’ in nursing homes and district nursing.
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ref: https://www.parool.nl/amsterdam/zorgcentrum-hard-getroffen-door-coronavirus-15-bewoners-bezweken~b9e53e31/
the limping messenger 