BEACHWOOD, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Health’s investigation of COVID-19 protocols at the Montefiore nursing home in Menorah Park found that three staff members conspired to submit false COVID-19 test samples to ensure the tests negative – even though residents showed symptoms of coronavirus and potentially expose other residents and staff.
The investigation into the nursing home was initially brought to light by Cleveland Jewish News.
Kayla Leubitz’s mother, Ronna Leubitz, had lived in Montefiore for 10 years. She moved into the nursing home in her 50s because of her multiple sclerosis and other health problems.
“She was a very good person and she had a big heart,” said Leubitz.
Leubitz said that when the pandemic hit, because of her mother’s health issues, they were both concerned, but not panicked. They relied on the care her mother received in Menorah Park during the ten years she had been there.
“I’ve never had any other reason to doubt what they were doing,” she said. “There was never any reason to worry about where she lived and the environment she lived in.”
The state health service investigation found that residents of Montefiore’s Mandel Unit 3 began to show COVID-19 symptoms in mid-October. But the Oct. 13 test of 34 residents yielded 33 negative results. Menorah Park’s internal investigation and the state investigation showed that employees falsified those tests, resulting in the termination of Montefiore’s director, director of nursing and assistant director of nursing.
Leubitz said her mother received multiple negative COVID-19 test results during the pandemic and although she said her mother was not a resident of Mandel 3, her mother reported that her latest test felt a bit different – a test she only got after news about the falsified tests came to light.
“Mom said and stepped back and said ‘maybe they weren’t testing me right’,” said Leubitz. ‘I don’t think they are running the tests correctly. I don’t think they go through the nose as often as they should. “
On Thursday, November 5, that last test was positive, and Leubitz got the news that her mother was moving to the COVID-19 wing of the nursing home. The next day she was taken to hospital.
“The next thing I know, I get a call from the nursing home on Friday that the doctor looked at her and thought she needed to go to the hospital and there was nothing they could do in the nursing home at this point,” she said.
Things went from bad to worse, and quickly. On Saturday, November 7, the doctor told Kayla that her mother would not make it.
All her vital organs just stopped. I had to make the tough decision that no child ever wants to make for her parents, okay, pull it, ”she said.
It was too soon for Leubitz to even say goodbye to her mother, who was 61 years old.
“I couldn’t be there. I couldn’t go to the nursing home. I couldn’t go to the hospital to be with her and she was all alone and I think that’s the hardest thing for me, as her kid, is she’s alone.” used to be. “
Now she wants to answer. The first question she has is how long has her mom had COVID-19?
“After all these months of supposedly testing negative and all of a sudden she tested positive and then she was gone in 48-72 hours,” she explained. “Something in my stomach tells me she may have had it longer.”
She also wants to know how her mother got on at all when everyone who was positive was isolated.
“If it was due to negligence, if it was due to not following protocol, or falsifying tests, whatever the case, however my mom got it, then I just want someone to answer gives up. “
The state has imposed a correction plan for Montefiore, including secondary education and a new COVID-19 protocol. But for Leubitz it is too little, too late.
“She didn’t deserve this and it shouldn’t have happened this way,” she said. “I miss her. I will always miss her.”
News 5 reached out to Menorah Park for comment and received the following statement:
Menorah Park is very interested in the outcome of the state inquiry into the testing problem that we discovered and reported to authorities in October. We are now participating in the research resulting from our self-reports. Therefore, we cannot make any further comments at this time. Once things are done and become public, we will be happy to answer at that point.