Two men who lived at the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s skilled nursing facility in Los Angeles have died of complications from co...
Two men who lived at the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s skilled nursing facility in Los Angeles have died of complications from coronavirus, Deadline reports. One death occurred Monday, at the nearby West Hills Hospital, and the other occurred Tuesday, at the MPTF’s COVID-19 isolation wing. Both men had underlying health issues.
The deaths were announced by Bob Beitcher, president and CEO of the MPTF. According to Variety, one of the residents was 64-year-old John Breier, a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union. Breier had had multiple sclerosis for the past 25 years.
The second victim was Allen Garfield, 80, an actor who appeared in movies such as Nashville and The Stunt Man, according to his Nashville costar Ronee Blakely, per Variety.
Beitcher noted that both residents had been living at the retirement home’s long-term care unit for many years. The retirement home is in Los Angeles’s Woodland Hills neighborhood.
“We’re all saddened,” Beitcher told Deadline. “They were both fighters, but they lost this last round. They were both in our long-term care unit for many years, and they’re grieved not only by their families, but by their caregivers who knew them so well and took care of them all this time.”
Six other residents have tested positive for coronavirus and are receiving care in the facilities’ isolation unit. Four staffers have also tested positive and are self-isolating in their homes. “We have incredible nurses who have stepped up and are manning the isolation unit, but some caregivers are calling in sick,” Beitcher said. “They’re frightened, and we’re struggling with a shortage of personal protection equipment. Even major hospital chains are struggling to get deliveries.”
He continued, getting candid about the challenges and “restless nights” he’s faced about the pandemic.
“It’s an emotional challenge, but I’m here to lead the team and be focused and positive,” he added. “I’m surrounded by a team that is strong and resilient and incredibly supportive in every way.”
The MPTF was founded in 1921 by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith, and other industry figures to serve as a safety net for struggling members of the entertainment industry. The Woodland Hills property was founded in 1942. Per the fund’s site, the foundation is able to serve more than 150,000 people each year with healthcare, services, and retirement living. The facility has a hospital and a behaviorial health center to serve residents with mental health needs.
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