Just got a weird call from in-laws skilled nursing facility. What could this mean?

There are security/privacy concerns with messages left on answer machines. Who know who will pick up the message?

Better demand answers from a higher up atministrator

If you answered the call in person , it seems they should have told you it was a COVID case. If they were leaving a message or voice mail, they are sometimes more circumspect about details unless they know that number is "okay'd" for leaving explicit messages.

A cryptic message like this would send my anxiety meter through the roof. However, in their odd way they were trying to let people know something. My mom was in a 5 star rated NH for rehab and she developed a stage IV pressure wound they never told me about. I was only informed about this when mom was rushed to the hospital by a hospital intake nurse when she developed a bad UTI that led to delirium. In another NH later, an aide dropped mom on the floor while transferring to a wheelchair, but I was there when it happened. I took mom home as I had had enough of NH's and their failures, and she passed away peacefully at home on hospice. I have come to expect calamity when it comes to NH's, probably not a popular opinion on this site...., but I had bad experiences from even 5 star rated ones.
You have a right to know what this call was about and I would contact the administration there.

Sorrynotsorry: I am glad that you got the answer that you were looking for, though the facility handled it in a rather bizarre fashion.

Read the replies people. The OP already got to the bottom of things. An employee tested positive for COVID. There’s no scam. There’s nothing out of the ordinary going on.

Go there immediately or call and ask for the head n urse, her doctor & demand to know what is going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dr Jack Grenan

In our city it is public knowledge which facilities have Covid. It is not a secret! It is broadcast on the daily news and written up in local newspapers.

This whole thing is so weird like a twilight zone moment.

Sounds to me like some kind of scam or prank call. The caller basically said she is required to inform you of something she cannot inform you of. That is a nonsense statement. Call the facility and speak to an administrator to be sure, but I bet it’s nothing.

Call the health department.
Call the County re (potential) elder abuse and ask them out to deal with it.
Call the administrator.
Write a letter to the County (of Marin) and cc the nursing facility administrator (put her on notice).
This is unacceptable - why are they calling you if they are not saying anything? They are creating a RED FLAG.

Doesn't sound legitimate to me. "can't say what" and "required to inform all families"? inform them of WHAT?. Could be a crank call. Or maybe the caller misunderstood the instructions given her (I'm guessing the former) In any case, just call the facility and ask. Don't panic. If it was a legitimately urgent situation you'd be getting better information than that... and from someone with more authority than "Rosie".

State law requires notification of an incident. I’ve received multiple calls like, “Your mother fell, but she is fine.” The secrecy makes me think it has to do with HIPAA. Sounds like she has the state law requiring she call you but the federal law requiring she not reveal a patient’s medical information.

Sounds weird for sure.  I would call back and ask to speak with the head nurse or person in charge at facility to find out what happened.  IF they claim they have to call "all" families, then it sounds like either someone spit on someone or something like that.  I am surprised that they didn't ask you to come in to be discussed privately, but it sounds like something was transmitted to everyone by someone or something.  Wishing you luck.

THank God I never put my mom in a nursing home...the caller sounds like an idiot because next of kin or healthcare surrogate has a right to know.

Call and speak to someone in charge to see what's going on. It was a strange call.

Call the facility or visit the administration to get the full story. It could be a scam or something that requires your action. You won't know until you get the full story.

I think I would have to go down there, or call and talk to someone in a higher position. Find out who runs that place.

And maybe it has nothing to do with Covid. Maybe you could speak with the Social Services Dept at the facility.

Scam

WTH? "Something happened here and we can't stay what?" So what is the purpose of the call? So are you supposed to go down there and find out? I hope some will go and find out what happened.

Are you sure this isn't some kind of crank call, perhaps from someone who knows you have family there and has managed to disguise her phone number as the facility's number? (Offhand I can't recall the term for that, but scammers do it.) Another possibility is that it's either someone from the facility calling "off the record" and perhaps Rosie isn't her real name. A third is that it's actually a resident (or a family member of a resident) who wants to give you a "heads up" so you investigate further.

Covid19, the new Scarlet Letter. Can't wait to see what the politicians come up with next.

Well...she failed in her requirement. I couldn't begin to guess, after all I've read here, but I can't wait to find out!

When my MIL's facility had staff test positive (the first people inside the facility to get it) the administrator called us personally to tell us and to let us know what they were doing about it. It was pandemonium in there for a while as they dealt with the daily scramble (and this was in May so even less was known about the virus). Eventually they had the bandwidth to send out detailed emails. HIPAA didn't seem to have anything to do with this situation. We're the medical PoA for my MIL. MIL didn't have covid, a staff member did so as long as they're not disclosing the name of the staff member, HIPAA wouldn't seem to be operative in this situation. Your MILs facility handled it poorly, plain and simple. FYI 9 residents at my MIL's facility passed from covid. No AL residents ever got it, just LTC and MC.

There's nothing in HIPPA that prevents the nursing home from disclosing someone has Covid. They just can't say who. My mother's place had seven staff members come up positive all at once, then 10 residents ended up with it eventually. That was the extent of the identifying details, but we received weekly updates while there were still active cases. I seem to recall only the death of one resident was ever mentioned, although I think the final total was 3-5, depending on what they thought was the actual cause.

Rosie, failed to disclose specifically what's happening, which means HIPAA is involved, most likely. Along that thinking, maybe Rosie the employee learned that another employee is infected with Covid19.

Covid19 mandatory reporting and testing parameters recently changed, Newer federal rules and regs require nursing homes to inform residents, their families and representatives of COVID-19 cases in their facilities.

BUT that vaguely didn't happen, maybe check your emai for clarification? Skilled Nursing Facilities are reporting numbers to the CDC and their states.

Did you ask them what the secrecy was all about? It doesn’t make any sense at all. There are transparent reports daily on Covid cases in facilities. The phone call is what was so weird.

Lea, Covid cases didn’t seem to be secretive in the facility by you. It’s not secretive by us either. It’s news that is required to be reported. Names don’t have to be mentioned to report it.

A friend was hospitalized and while there contracted COVID son2 wks in the hospital. Then back to the NH where she was put in a room alone for 2 more weeks. Yes, she was taken care of in the room just isolated.

I thought I responded to this post. I did see the reply it was COVID. But I do feel it was handled wrong and may complain to the Health Dept.

The caller could have said that a staff member contracted the virus and that person has been sent home and precautions have been taken. HIPPA just won't allow the person's name to be mentioned. In our County a daily report goes out. How many new cases. If its male, female, or juvenile. If over 18, it will say in their 20s, 30s, 90s, and what Township they are from.

Covid wasn’t handled in facilities in our area like this. Very strange.

Does anyone know if a resident in AL test positive for covid, if they are not showing symptoms do they remain in the MC in their room? Do the staff continue providing their care, feeding them, changing them? Would any Nursing home accept a person who is positive without symptoms?