BY JASON COHEN
With the highest amount
of nursing home COVID-19
deaths in the country, New
Yorkers are angry, upset
and want people to be held
accountable.
On June 12, Senator Alessandra
Biaggi and Assemblyman
Ron Kim (Queens) held
an emotional virtual town
hall, where they discussed
their legislation that would
repeal an amendment in the
state budget that gives blanket
corporate immunity to nursing
home owners, shareholders
and trustees during the
COVID-19 pandemic and families
of COVID-19 victims who
died in nursing homes spoke
about the tragedies.
Repealing the amendment
will enable families to pursue
a legal pathway that could uncover
evidence of poor care. To
date, over 5,600 families have
lost a loved one living in a nursing
home due to COVID-19.
Biaggi could not believe the
casualties that took place in
nursing homes. She stressed
that repealing this provision
is crucial.
“Nursing homes are a place
where people live,” Biaggi
said. “When we send loved
ones to a nursing home we expect
the highest level of care.
The people in charge of managing
them need to be held responsible.”
Kim shared her concerns
and felt the truth must be exposed.
According to Kim,
“nursing homes have a get out
of jail free card right now.”
He noted that people should
be able to fi le claims against
nursing homes.
“What happened,” Kim
said. “Who was monitoring
our loved ones? Where are the
medical records?”
Livia Machin and Traci
Ann Alvino were among the
people who spoke about family
members they lost to COVID-19
living at nursing homes. Both
women wept and were quite
emotional as they told their
stories.
Machin’s father Alfredo
Munoz was in a facility in
Queens for three years with
dementia. When COVID-19 hit
the nursing home it did not allow
visitors.
“We were at a loss,” she explained.
“We tried to communicate
BRONX TIMES R 26 EPORTER, JUNE 19-25, 2020 BTR
with them and it was
very diffi cult to get in contact
with them.”
There were video calls, but
talking to a person with dementia
virtually was not the
same. On April 8, they were fi -
nally able to see him, but three
days later he passed away. The
death certifi cate says “presumed
COVID-19.”
Machin questioned how
could a place that was supposed
to keep her dad safe let
this happen, especially when
the nursing home assured her
he would be okay.
“I couldn’t understand why
nobody called me,” she exclaimed.
“I know in my heart
of hearts he died of COVID-19.
I couldn’t have a funeral for my
father and it kills me inside.”
She cremated her father on
May 18.
Alvino could not believe
what her father Daniel, 77,
went through. Daniel was her
“superhero and pride of the
family.”
He was a healthy guy and
had just retired after 33 years
as a football referee. But he
had recent neck surgery and
went to a facility in Long Island
for rehab.
She recalled that on March
23, one person had COVID-19
at the home, yet the staff told
her he was in no danger.
“They assured us everything
would be fi ne,” Alvino
said. “We opted to leave him
and trusted them.”
However, things were not
safe. Daniel developed a fever
and they gave him oxygen
hoping it would help him. On
March 30, he was released to
Alvino in terrible condition
with ulcers all over his body.
As he walked down the
driveway, he collapsed and
begged his daughter not to
take him back to the home.
The facility released him with
COVID-19.
“They did not test him,
they did not feed him and
they did not tell us he was a
COVID-19 suspect,” she said.
On April 1, she called the
emergency room and discovered
her father had the coronavirus
and eventually the
entire family did. Everyone
survived, but her father unfortunately
did not make it.
While he didn’t die in the
nursing home, she blamed the
nursing home for his untimely
death and said that they need
to be held accountable.
“It destroyed all our lives,”
Alvino remarked. “My dad
and people like him aren’t
counted in the nursing home
logs. What Governor Cuomo
has done to us families is another
punch in our stomach. I
don’t know how anyone can be
so cruel.”
Pols and residents want nursing
homes held accountable for
COVID deaths
Photo via Getty Images