COVID-19 creates a communication gap between nursing home residents and families

Dr. Box said the Indiana Department of Health is working towards a more transparent solution in regards to nursing home data, but will not be releasing the name of each facility that has had an outbreak.

Hunter petroviak..thanks for joining us..an update tonight on a story fox 55 news first told you about this weekend.after we reported the deaths of four patients at sacred heart home in avilla, we heard from one woman who says she learned about it on social media - even though her father lives there.

Fox 55's jeremy masukevich tells us what you should do if you're not receiving information about your family member in a nursing home.

Trt: nat debbie 42:18 i just feel bad because he is in there by himself and doesn't know what's going on.auburn resident debbie hall says since the beginning of the covid-19 stay-at-home order she's had very limited contact with her 92-year-old father who is a resident at sacred heart home in avilla?no lower third sot debbie they have been shut down since about march 13th.

I've seen him once through a window, and other than that i've talked to him on the phone once.

Hall says she and her family have been calling on a daily basis - but were surprised to learn from social media that 4 patients have died in the last two weeks.

Sot debbie i have three brothers and we've been calling, and half the time we can't get a hold of anyone.

Then you hear of deaths on social media and you don't know if your dad is okay.hall says she recognizes that long- term care facilities are working overtime to ensure residents' safety but believes they must be transparent with families.sot debbie 43:04i just would like them to communicate a little better.

So that we know what is going on and let us know if our parents or whoever is in there is okay.indiana health commissioner kristina box says she has also faced challenges in trying to learn information about her family members in long-term care facilities.sot dr box with regards to families not being notified.

I think that's really sad.

I do think it's it is an obligation for long term care facilities to let all of the residents know what's going on and their families or their caretakers know what's happening.box says the department of health is working toward a transparent solution.however, she says they ?don't?

Plan on posting the names of each facility that's had an outbreak - something other states including ohio are doing.box says they're planning on aggregating the data at each facility and want to be careful about protecting privacy.sot dr box .

I'm sure that there is something that we can consider but we've really tried to avoid that because we do think that this is a personal thing between the facility and the individuals who live in the facility and their families.in fort wayne, jeremy masukevich, fox 55 news now earlier this evening we did hear back from ascension living which operates sacred heart.

A spokeswoman says their families are appreciative of the precautions they've put in place to keep residents safe ... and that they're focused on keeping them connected.

A statement says they're doing virtual visits ... closed window meetings ..

And using social media.

They're also hiring hospitality companions from the community and launching an 800-number for families.

Doctor box says if you're struggling to get information from your loved one's home you should contact the state department of health