LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — It's been a rough year for nursing homes across the country, including John Knox Village in Lee's Summit.
A COVID-19 outbreak at the center has killed 47 residents since March.
The deaths occurred despite the skilled nursing center's best efforts to keep the virus contained. State inspection reports show John Knox Village has not had a single violation since the pandemic began.
But now, there's hope.
CVS and Walgreens are sending vaccines to nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri starting next week.
Rodney McBride, vice president of community and health services at John Knox, said he's not sure when they'll receive the vaccine but the anticipation is a lot like waiting for Christmas to arrive.
"You've waited and waited for Christmas, Christmas morning finally gets here, and you go downstairs and you opened the package and what you wanted the most is what you got," McBride said.
John Knox will not mandate staff or residents receive the vaccine. However, McBride said they surveyed 50% of residents and staff. Among those surveyed, 98% of the residents said they want the vaccine, and 70% of staff also stated they're interested in taking it.
John Knox Village has not allowed visitors to come into the building since March. McBride said the vaccine is the first step in reuniting residents with their families.
McBride has worked in the senior services industry for nearly 40 years.
"By far, this is the saddest year in my professional life," McBride said.
Now, McBride is just waiting for the phone to ring to be notified it's John Knox Village's turn to be vaccinated.
"We can't wait for the vaccine to get here," McBride said.
