Macon Reporter

A family has filed a lawsuit against the Fair Havens Senior Living facility in Decatur after their loved one died alone in the facility from COVID-19 on Easter.

Their family members of Sharon Logan say she wasn't properly cared for at the facility, according to WAND-TV, but Fair Havens is conducting an investigation of its own into the claim. 

The facility was closed to family and friends due to the coronavirus, prompting Logan's family to question if she had received the care she needed. 

"The hardest part was that I could not sit there with her, hold her hand and be there with her when it was time to say goodbye," Jess Dyer, Logan's son-in-law, said.

But Jeff's wife, Eva Dyer, and Logan's daughter told WAND that the facility should be closed because it's debatable whether or not staff at the senior living facility are properly caring for residents. 

"Shut it down," Eva Dyer said. "Shut it down, because I am going to tell you that these old people can not talk for themselves."

As of May 19, the facility has reported at least 13 COVID-19 deaths, according to news reports.

A former nurse of Fair Havens Senior Living also told WAND that she believes the facility isn't caring for the seniors. The nurse, who chose to be called "Jill" to protect her identity, said she worked at the facility for eight years and that what she saw at the facility made her stop working there.

When asked if she thought the residents were cared for by WAND, Jill said, "No. I really feel like the facility pushed everything up under the rug...Proper care? No, they were not getting the proper care."

The former nurse also questioned whether the staff is wearing personal protective equipment.

"They never had any PPE for us to put on," Jill told WAND. "I had to bring PPE from my other job because I had a family at home."

An attorney for the senior living facility told WAND staff members do wear PPE. The attorney also said the facility is conducting an investigation into allegations of resident abuse and neglect.

Another family filed a lawsuit in 2018 against Fair Havens Senior Living Facility after their family member suffered a fracture and died, according to WAND. The family claims their loved one was improperly handled by staff members. A state investigation into those claims found that the facility was violating five statutes.