By Shavonne Potts

shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Salisbury police say in the last two days they’ve received complaints from family members who say they are concerned about older relatives living in local nursing home facilities.

One man, T.W. Dunning, told police his mother-in-law, 77, was a resident at the Citadel, which has been the location of a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak. Dunning told police she contacted him and said she’d needed to go to the restroom but three hours later no one had been there to help her, according to spokesman Lt. Lee Walker.

A police lieutenant called the facility, located at 710 Julian Road, and received no response so the officer went to the center. The officer rang the doorbell and received no response, Walker said.

The officer approached someone who walked in the parking lot. He asked about the care of the resident and the employee said they’d just taken her food about an hour before. The officer spoke with a representative with the adult division of the Department of Social Services.

According to Walker, the social services representative was concerned and said she would look into the matter, as well as send a follow-up letter.

Officials with Accordius Health, which manages the facility, confirmed in a memo to employees there were 96 positive cases at the facility. It’s unclear how many more patients there have tested positive for COVID-19.

Walker said they received a similar complaint from a family member of someone who was a resident at the facility a few days ago. He said the officer in that case called the center but was not able to get an answer.

Walker said in addition to social services, police are also looking into the matter.