Recently, Senior Solutions has been scrutinized by publications that deceptively use media to exploit their anti-flu vaccine belief. Recent articles published by Health Impact News and Natural News reported that 5-6 (each article reports a different number) residents of Hope Memory Center, a Senior Solutions community, died after receiving the flu shot. These articles posted outrageous claims including a statement claiming that the number of deaths were unusual for the time period, that residents were manipulated into receiving the flu vaccine, and that all deaths were a result of the flu vaccine.
Both articles state that they received this information from a worker at the community. While we are still investigating who within the community shared these false accusations with Health Impact News and Natural News, we want to assure our residents and their families that these claims are false and inaccurate. As previously stated, the incident is still under investigation, but we do want to share the truth behind all of this.
Here are the facts:
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There were 4 deaths within the week in question, not 5 as Natural News states in their article, or 6 deaths as stated in the Health Impact News article. There were 4 total deaths, which we know were all Hospice related.
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Due to the community's design, we care for residents at various stages of Dementia or related disorders - with the aging population and average age of 89 years of age, it is not uncommon for our community to have 2-4 deaths per month, as we provide end of life care.
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Of the 4 deaths within the week in question, only 2 of those patrons received the flu vaccine
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We have signed consent forms from each resident or Power of Attorney as well as a Physician's order for each resident to receive the flu vaccine.
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The flu vaccine was given on November 7th by CVS Pharmacy and administered by the Pharmacist on staff.
The truth is – we care deeply about all of our residents and their families and offer our sincere apologies for those who were affected by this media.
“Our policies are always to follow state guidelines and protocol for any care matter involving our residents. While we support the right to free speech, we in no way support the exploitation of a cause at the expense of our communities. At the time of the attack, we again followed guidelines and protocol, contacting the state governing authority as well as the local governing authority to report the claim and seek guidance,” says Chris Sides, President of Senior Solutions Management Group. “We deeply regret the inconvenience and the unnecessary angst this caused for our patrons and partners.”
Why Did We Suspend Facebook?
Although one of the articles accuses our actions and decision to remove the Hope Memory Center’s Facebook page as a “loophole in which the center may be able to diminish or altogether remove its responsibility in these deaths”, our decision to remove the page was in the best interest of our resident’s and their loved ones. The Hope Memory Center Facebook page’s purpose is to share recent events, activities and beneficial information, as well as keep family members updated; however, with the flood of comments as a response of the false article, this was difficult to do.
We have since then reactivated the page and hope to continue to provide valuable resources and community happenings with the Hope Memory Center family.
Health Impact News has since removed the article they published, and it is likely the same can be expected to happen for the article on Natural News soon. The retraction of the article just reinforces the inaccuracy of their statements and accusations.
The Truth about the Flu Vaccine
While advocates like Health Impact News and Natural News have criticized the flu vaccine, research conducted on the flu vaccine by the Centers for Disease Control shows the benefits far outweigh the costs, especially for seniors. In the 2011-2012 flu seasons, the flu vaccination was linked to 71% less occurrences of flu-related hospitalizations for adults 50 years or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Though the flu vaccine is not a magic potion that can 100% wipe out the flu, it does minimize more severe complications that could occur with the flu in elderly adults and can ease symptoms if the flu is contracted.
To learn more about the flu vaccine, visit the Centers for Disease Control website. You can also learn more about the importance of the flu vaccine for seniors in our recent blog.
Our hope is that the information shared in this article provides you with peace of mind in the Senior Solutions care team. We ensure that each resident receives quality, individualized care that is carefully planned with his or her physician, family, and/or care team.
If you have additional questions, please contact us at (678) 341-1347.
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