Pennsylvania National Guard To Be Deployed At Brighton Rehabilitation And Wellness Center To Fight The Coronavirus
BEAVER COUNTY (KDKA) -- The Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County is getting some assistance to help fight COVID-19.
Officials told KDKA in a statement, the National Guard will begin active duty at Brighton starting Monday, May 11.
"On May 8, a team of Pennsylvania Guard members began an offsite assessment to determine how best they can support the facility. The assessment was completed on May 9 and officers from the National Guard and HAP representatives toured the facility," the statement read.
The 27 National Guard members who will be activated at Brighton will perform housekeeping tasks like cleaning, meal prep, and service. They will also provide daily living support like bathing and feeding, officials said in a statement.
"This support is critical as it allows for nursing home healthcare teams to solely focus on resident healthcare," the statement said.
This relief comes just days after Congressman Connor Lamb called for federal resources and the opening of an investigation into Brighton and its "lax oversight" while handling this health crisis.
"It is simply unacceptable that the threat to the residents of Brighton was made worse by lax oversight, especially after more than 60 members of this community had died. If those deaths did not convince either the temporary manager or the Brighton management to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward severe mistakes, then something needs to change at Brighton, and it needs to change right away," Lamb said.
As of Friday, May 8, KDKA reported 333 positive cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff and 71 COVID-19 deaths at Brighton.
Additionally, nursing homes make up 70% of COVID-19 deaths statewide and seven other nursing homes in PA have already received help from the national guard.
Officials told KDKA the guard members at Brighton will receive PPE, disinfectant, and laundry services.
These personnel will not be living at the facility during the activation. The National Guard is handling the logistics of their housing, Brighton officials said.
The National Guard is anticipated to be assisting Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center through May 18.
