By HUMPHREYS, Lyn
A NEW PLYMOUTH rest home resident has died as a result of contracting the virulent norovirus stomach bug, Taranaki’s medical officer of health confirmed yesterday.
Outbreaks of the gastroenteritis bug, which causes fever, vomiting and diarrhoea for 24-48 hours, have been sweeping through at least three New Plymouth rest homes since November.
Strict Ministry of Health guidelines require the homes to isolate affected patients and so contain the highly contagious virus.
“We are aware of one death where the certifying doctor has said the patient died directly of gastroenteritis,” Dr Richard Hoskins said.
The person who died was a resident of Riverview, he said.
The elderly were more at risk from the effects of the virus because older people had weakened immune systems and might suffer additional health problems.
Chalmers Elderly Care, Riverview Lodge Rest Home and Hospital, and most recently the Maida Vale complex at Bell Block, all had outbreaks, Dr Richard Hoskins said.
Chalmers, affected sporadically since last November, has had 40 residents and staff taken ill, and was still getting new cases, he said.
Dr Hoskins repeated his concerns about Chalmers being disappointingly slow to notify health authorities of the outbreak, something it denies.
“We do think their first response was less than optimal.
“We are disappointed it has gone on for so long. They have taken on board the advice we’ve given them.,” he said.
“This is a very difficult virus outbreak to manage.”
Dr Hoskins pointed out public health inspectors were making sure rest homes had the latest guidelines and were provided with as much information as they needed to battle the virus.
Some, such as Tainui Village and Rhapsody, have taken successful action to keep the virus at bay.
Tainui Village general manager Glendyr Field and a Rhapsody spokesman said preventive measures in place included everyone coming into the resthomes washing their hands with an alcohol preparation.
Tainui was also giving out information brochures.
Yesterday, the Taranaki Daily News was contacted by a woman who declined to give her name, saying she was worried Maida Vale hospital patients were being kept in isolation, suffering a lack of care because of a lack of staff and not getting physiotherapy or exercise. Maida Vale Village manager Heather Marshall said the rest home was taking advice from health protection officers and working to Ministry of Health guidelines.
These included isolating residents with norovirus.
“We do have reduced staff because they are ill too. We are doing our best to ensure no resident’s care has been compromised,” Ms Marshall said.
Dr Hoskins advised those with concerns about appropriate levels of care to make a complaint to the relevant authorities, such as the Health and Disability Commissioner.
(c) 2008 Daily News; New Plymouth, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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