Nursing homes account for hundreds of cases

List put out by state health officials called ‘tip of the iceberg’ of coronavirus infections

Startling state figures released Saturday show 34 nursing homes in seven Bay Area counties have confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward has 102 such cases, with 33 staff members and 69 patients infected, significantly higher than the 68 total coronavirus cases reported by Alameda County on Thursday, which included 13 deaths, according to a partial list the state health department made newly public.

The list also includes Valley House Rehabilitation Center in Santa Clara, with 63 confirmed cases, and is comprised of 86% of nursing facilities that reported their data within the last day. Of the 1,224 skilled nursing facilities in California, 261 have reported one or more COVID-19 cases by either a resident or a staff member as of Friday.

“Even these shocking numbers are likely an undercount because the state still relies on reporting by facilities, which has been spotty at best,” said Mike Dark, a staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home

Reform. “The staggering death counts we will see over the next few weeks are going to reveal that these numbers are the tip of the iceberg.”

The available state data does not include deaths or exact figures for the number of infected patients and staff at most nursing facilities. It also is limited to nursing homes and does not include assisted living and other types of care facilities.

According to state health officials, the list is based on “point in time data from all the locations who reported in the last 24 hours.”

“This is not a comprehensive list from January until now,” state officials said in an email, noting that it does not include those where patients have been transferred to hospitals. “We are working with (skilled nursing facilities) on a reporting system that will ensure we can publicly report 100 percent of the facilities in the coming days.”

The list also does not break down specific numbers for nursing homes that have fewer than 11 positive cases among either healthcare workers or residents.

Los Angeles County’s nursing facilities make up the majority of the cases there, with at least 148 facilities that have infections, including a facility called Brier Oak on Sunset, which has 142 confirmed cases, according to the state.

The state lists 11 Santa Clara County nursing homes with infections — the most in the Bay Area. Most of the names had not been made public by the county.

Contra Costa County health officials have identified 14 facilities with positive cases, for which the state list does not account.

At the Orinda Care Center, health officials have confirmed 53 positive cases among staff and residents and four deaths.

At Carlton Senior Living, five patients have died among the 35 who tested positive for COVID-19, and 23 staff members have gotten the virus.

The county would not identify the other 12 facilities but said they have positive tests for two residents and 10 staff among those nursing homes.

The Bay Area nursing homes with confirmed cases among staff or patients, according to the state list, include:

Santa Clara County

*A Grace Sub Acute and Skilled Care, *Amberwood Gardens, Canyon Springs Sub Acute, Cedar Crest Nursing and Rehabilitation, *The Health Care Center at the Forum at Rancho San Antonio, *Los Altos Sub-acute and Rehabilitation Center, *Mountain View Healthcare Center, *Skyline Health Care Center —San Jose, *The Terraces of Los Gatos, Valley House Rehabilitation Center and *Vista Manor Nursing Center

Alameda County

*Alameda Healthcare

and Wellness Center, East Bay Post-acute, *Excell Health Care Center, *Garfield Neurobehavioral Center, *Mercy Retirement and Care Center, *Redwood Convalescent Hospital, *Redwood Healthcare Center, *San Leandro Healthcare Center, *Washington Center

Contra Costa County

Orinda Care Center *While Shields Richmond Nursing Center and Alhambra Convalescent Hospital are included in the state’s published list, both owners of the facilities have told this news organization they have had no positive cases among staff or patients.

San Francisco County

Central Gardens, *Jewish Home, Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, *San Francisco Towers, *St. Anne’s Home for the Aged

San Mateo County

*Burlingame Long Term Care, *The Sequoias

Sonoma County

*Apple Valley Post-acute Rehab

Marin County

*Pine Ridge Care Center *These facilities are listed as having fewer than 11 cases among either staff or patients. The state has not provided specific figures for those that have fewer than 11 positive COVID-19 diagnoses.

To see the full list on the state website, visit: https:// tinyurl.com/yb859ga2.

Help needed

Please help us shed light on senior care by providing details; email us at seniorcareinquiries@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Your information will reach reporters who are covering the impact coronavirus is having on nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

You can also leave a phone message at 510208-6458. Thank you for your help.