Families still unable to visit loved ones in Georgia nursing homes

GEORGIA — Zackrey Ceasar misses his mom.

He hasn’t seen her in weeks.

“There are times we stay up all night tossing and turning, like night before last I didn’t even sleep,” said Ceasar.

While his mother does not have COVID-19, her nursing home Roswell Nursing & Rehab Center, has seen a dramatic rise in the number of residents testing positive.

It now stands at 37.

“This is a person who probably can’t even catch a cold without having a serious reaction, let alone a virus we don’t understand. We’re probably talking instant fatality,” said Ceasar.

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For that reason, he and his wife understand Governor Brian Kemp’s decision, requiring all nursing home residents to continue sheltering in place.

“We respect that decision,” said Ceasar’s wife, Angel. “To be honest, we’re happy about that, knowing that these people are at risk.”

Kemp’s latest order not only continues sheltering in place, it also requires nursing homes to continue to keep any non-essential visitors out and emphasizes that the visitor policy should be strictly enforced.

Like many long-term care facilities, Roswell Nursing does provide iPads to help families keep in touch, but for families like the Ceasers, iPads can’t replace a hug.

“Not being able to see her is extremely troubling,” said Ceasar.

As for the high number of cases at Roswell Nursing & Rehab Center, management told us all COVID-19 positive residents are quarantined in a separate section of the facility. They’re also receiving help from the Georgia National Guard.

75% of patients at SW Atlanta nursing home have coronavirus; 15 have died Holding pictures of their late loved ones, family members and several lawmakers rallied near the Arbor Terrace at Cascade on Friday.

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