Kei-Ai Los Angeles Healthcare Center, a nursing facility catered to the Japanese American community aimed to help the elderly during COVID-19. However, some things did not add up and worries began to plague family members.
As the pandemic continued to progress so did the virus, in fact, 31 COVID-19 related deaths in December were reported and shockingly enough the center stated that they were COVID-19 free. So, if a center said they were free, what exactly was the cause of deaths? Nursing homes deaths are not a new issue and had been reported across the nation.
LA Times reported, "...8% of skilled nursing capacity in the county but account for 18% of all deaths, according to a Times analysis.
Kei-Ai is not reporting the deaths to the hospitals for a number of reasons. Hospitals are overpopulated with thousands of COVID-19 patients, profit that the transfers represent, and the publicity (scrutiny). Facilities like this fail to notice staff and take measures to combat these deaths. In turn, it's piling up systemic abuse because these patents are not receiving the attention and concern needed. There should be measures in places whether weekly or daily to check inspection of residents. Following procedures that provide sanitary conditions is just one step, the communication to the necessary people is a crucial one too.
Kei-Ai did not notify the families that their loved ones passed away immediately nor the unsanitary conditions. A community-based center falls back on their word. Additionally, it falls into recent headlines about the Asian-American community. The systemic abuse that they suffer, particularly applicable to this center because it's mainly for Japanese-Americans.
A for-profit organization take the revenue by receiving these patients and the troubles of this center is beyond the pandemic. Deep-rooted corruptions follow in the center that is thoroughly researched by the LA Times (to follow more about recent developments).
Represent patients without profiting off their death needs to be implemented and a call to action about the abuse to Asian American still in 2021.
