Nineteen people, including 17 residents and two staff members, have tested positive for COVID-19 at The Groves, an assisted living center on Emory Valley Road, an executive said Monday.
Six of the residents are in the hospital in stable condition, said Hollie Bailey, a registered nurse and regional director of operations and clinical services for Navion Senior Solutions. The Groves is part of Navion Senior Solutions.
One of the residents has died.
The other 10 residents are in self-quarantine. They have not exhibited any symptoms, Bailey said.
One of the staff members who tested positive has recovered, and the other remains in quarantine, Bailey said.
The Groves did not identify the resident who died, but the family of Joe Lenhard, a former U.S. Department of Energy executive, reported that Lenhard lived at the Groves and died of COVID-19 on Friday, July 17.
“Sadly, one resident did pass away,” Bailey said Monday. “Our thoughts and prayers go to their loved ones. Privacy rules prevent us from discussing the identity of anyone impacted.”
Lenhard’s death was the third in Anderson County due to COVID-19.
Bailey said The Groves has retested its entire community.
The Tennessee Department of Health has identified The Groves as one of the long-term care centers that has a COVID-19 cluster. A cluster can include two or more confirmed COVID-19 cases among residents and staff members.
The state health department has identified another cluster in Anderson County at Summit View, a nursing home in Rocky Top.
Bailey said The Groves, the Oak Ridge facility, started testing residents and staff for COVID-19 at the beginning of June as part of a statewide initiative. The initial tests were all negative, Bailey said.
After the positive tests in recent weeks, The Groves reported each of the cases to the state health department and kept its community informed, Bailey said.
“From the beginning of this pandemic, we have taken all necessary precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, adhering to all recommended best practices and guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and the state of Tennessee,” Bailey said. “Staff use personal protective equipment to provide care to our residents. We increased monitoring of residents and staff and implemented regular screenings for anyone who enters our facilities, including all of our associates. In response to the positive tests, we have asked residents to shelter in place and wear a mask anytime they need to leave their apartment or if a staff member needs to enter. We also commissioned a third-party vendor specifically trained in cleaning and disinfecting for COVID-19 to perform a thorough deep clean of our community.”
Bailey said the top priority of Navion Senior Solutions and The Groves is the health and well-being of everyone in its community.
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