Nurse At Littleton Facility Who Died Of Coronavirus Was A 'Hero'
LITTLETON (CBS) -- Maria Krier was a nurse at the Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley. She left her job because she said the conditions weren't safe and a short time later she died of coronavirus.
Krier's family called her an angel and local lawmakers said she was a heroic whistleblower.
"She was an amazing woman," says Krier's step-granddaughter Quinn Aguiar, "She was so giving. All she ever did was give."
When the nurse at the embattled Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley fell victim to coronavirus after caring for elderly residents with the same disease, she knew something was wrong. "She pretty much was just saying how it was ridiculous that she didn't know that she was exposed, until pretty much after she had caught it," said Aguiar.
Congresswoman Lori Trahan said Krier's message led to positive change.
"She is a hero. She was one of the healthcare workers at [Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley] who blew the whistle frankly on the corporate leadership," said Trahan. She said Krier spoke out about the outbreak at the facility where 14 people have now died. "She knew that they weren't given the information that they needed to protect themselves and protect the people that were in their care."
Massachusetts State Representative James Arciero is calling for the State Attorney General to investigate. "There was a reluctance...that management was not interested in having all the employees tested, and to me that's unacceptable."
Arciero is working on legislation that would beef-up the Department of Public Health oversight of nursing homes.
Despite accusations that management kept people in the dark, a spokesperson for the Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley says residents' families and staff were notified one day after the first COVID-19 patient was transferred to the hospital.
