46 COVID-19 Cases at Willowbrook Nursing Home in Illinois

On Wednesday, March 18, 46 residents and staff members tested positive for COVID-19 at Chateau Nursing Home in west suburban Willowbrook. Of those cases, 33 are residents, and 13 are staff members. The numbers of those testing positive could rise again soon, though, as they are still waiting for more test results to come back.

The residents who tested positive and are seriously ill are being treated and isolated in their rooms, while staff members who tested positive are isolating at home. Other residents who are sick, but not seriously ill, are being isolated in a different part of the care facility. All healthy residents are being quarantined inside the facility apart from those who are ill.

Chateau Nursing Home is on lockdown to prevent visitors and any further spread of the virus. Frank A. Trilla, the Mayor of Willowbrook, issued a statement saying that anyone who visited the nursing home over the past 30 days should isolate at home regardless of whether or not they’re experiencing symptoms of the virus.

Your loved ones in nursing homes are part of the most vulnerable population if they contract the virus, so it makes sense that you might be especially worried about their health during this time. Here’s what you can do if you have loved ones you’re worried about in a locked down care facility:

• Follow the nursing home’s visitation policy.
• Designate a point person to receive information about your loved one, most likely the designated “responsible party” on your loved one’s paperwork and let them distribute information to the rest of the family.
• Leave the point person responsible for checking in on your loved one’s health updates and condition.
• Stay as calm as possible and protect your own health as well by staying home and hand washing.
• When visitation opens again, wait until you are 14 days symptom-free before visiting your loved one.

At Thomas Law Offices, we understand how hard it must be to feel uncertain about your loved one’s health and be unable to be there for them in person. Hopefully these measures to contain the COVID-19 virus will prove effective and keep more people in good health and allow those affected a full recovery so you can visit them soon. If you believe your family member’s nursing home is not fulfilling a duty to protect residents, contact our office to discuss legal recourse for nursing home mistreatment and neglect.