TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Christmas came early for a 77-year-old woman in Tucson when a group of high school students made her one wish come true.

Christmas is Nancy Mattern’s favorite holiday.

“It just brings out the part of people that you don’t see the rest of the year,” she said.

She’s been collecting Christmas decorations for 40 years. But ever since she got COVID, she hasn't been able to put them up.

“It put me in this position, it affected my heart and my lungs," Mattern said. "And to be able to do the little things now is really hard.”

Nancy’s daughter, Trina Mattern, has a work injury that also makes it difficult to decorate.

“It's been very heartbreaking to see her so sad during the holidays because we couldn’t put up any decorations for her,” Trina Mattern said.

This year, eight of Santa’s helpers wanted to change that. They’re all a part of University High School’s Dreamcatchers. The group grants wishes for patients in hospice care.

“Working together to create each dream has been a really special experience to me,” said Kristin Jung, a Dreamcatcher at University High School.

The group put up all of Mattern's indoor and outdoor decorations.

“It's what Christmas is about, it's about giving," she said. "And to be able to have my Christmas decorations up is something I thought was over and done with, but these kids, with their big hearts, are making it happen.”

This story was originally reported by Perla Shaheen on kgun9.com.

As the U.S. tries to bring COVID-19 under control before a potential winter spike, health experts are encouraging vulnerable people to get a booster vaccine dose. So far, about 15% of seniors have done so.

Overall, about 10.7 million people have received a booster shot — and more than half were people over 65, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recommended booster doses for people who are most vulnerable, including those 65 and older, those at high risk of severe disease and those who live or work in high-risk environments.

Pfizer was given emergency use authorization for a booster dose last month for certain people who are at least six months out from their initial two doses. And the nation's health advisers are now looking at approving EUA for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters.

"(The extremely vulnerable) are recommended to get a booster shot," said CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen. "But even with a booster, they might not prevent severe outcomes and this is the reason why we have to be vaccinated."

Strong immune protection from vaccination is the best way to stave off infection and control the pandemic. But the effort to increase protection with boosters is happening as the nation is still struggling to entice a substantial percentage of the population to be fully vaccinated.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said the vast majority of the U.S. will need to be vaccinated to control the spread of the virus, but that number is only now at around 57% of the total population.

On Monday, there was heightened focus on the importance of vaccinations after news that former Secretary of State Colin Powell had died due to COVID-19 complications.

Powell, 84, had multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that suppresses the body's immune response, as well as Parkinson's, Peggy Cifrino, Powell's longtime chief of staff, told CNN. He was fully vaccinated and was scheduled to get a booster dose this week, but his health condition put him at greater risk.

Powell's death should not be taken as a sign that the vaccines are insufficient, Wen said, but rather as evidence that more of the population needs to be vaccinated to protect those who are older and medically fragile.

"Yes, the vaccine does protect you, but it protects you even better is everyone around you is vaccinated," Wen said. "We get vaccinated as healthy people in part to protect the most vulnerable among us."

And breakthrough cases, like that of Powell, are rare but expected, as no vaccine is 100% effective.

A total of 7,178 breakthrough cases that have resulted in death have been reported to the CDC through Oct. 12. By that time, more than 187 million people in the U.S. were fully vaccinated. That's one out of every 26,000 fully vaccinated people that has died of COVID-19, or 0.004%.

Of those breakthrough cases resulting in death, 85% were among people age 65 and older and 57% were among men, according to the CDC.

For those looking to strengthen their immune response with a booster dose, mixing and matching vaccines may soon become an option.

People familiar with the FDA's planning told the New York Times the agency is planning to allow people to receive a different COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot than the one they initially received.

According to the Times, the FDA might note that getting the same vaccine as a booster is preferable, but it would not recommend one shot over the other.

New Mexico under crisis standards of care

COVID-19 hospitalizations have been on the decline nationally, but some regions are still overwhelmed.

Seven states have less than 15% of ICU beds available, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Those states are Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas.

In New Mexico, the department of health has had to enact crisis standards of care.

According to a press release from the NMDH, hospitals will now have to temporarily suspend non-medically necessary procedures before having to decide who should receive care.

"Because of COVID, New Mexico hospitals and health care facilities have carried an unmanageable burden. Today, the state is offering clarity and support as providers seek to make difficult choices about how to allocate scarce -- and precious -- health care resources," said DOH Acting Secretary David R. Scrase, M.D. "The goals, as always, remain the same: to save as many New Mexican lives as possible, and to help sustain the health care providers who have sustained our communities throughout this entire pandemic."

On Monday, state health officials announced 1,895 new cases bringing the total number of cases in the state since the pandemic began to 265,632. There are currently 300 patients in the hospital being treated for COVID-19.

Vaccine mandates implemented for police departments

To increase vaccinations — and, in turn, control spread — many employers have begun mandating vaccinations for their employees.

In Washington state, members of Seattle's police department had until the end of Monday to be vaccinated or receive an exemption.

As of Monday night, 91% of the police force had shown proof of vaccination and 7% presented exemptions, leaving only 2% of the department having not submitted their vaccination status.

"For officers who haven't turned in any verification paperwork by midnight tonight, they are not to report for work tomorrow and the City and department will begin the process for termination for failing to follow the vaccine mandate guidelines," SPD spokesperson Randy Huserik told CNN.

The state has also implemented vaccine mandates for state employees, and some are choosing to leave their jobs instead of complying.

In videos uploaded by a YouTube conservative radio host in the Seattle area, two state troopers were among those state employees citing Governor Jay Inslee's vaccination mandate as the reason for their leave.

One of them, 17-year veteran Sgt. Richard Thompson, can be seen inside his patrol car signing off from his duties and saying, "Due to my personal choice to take a moral stand against, for medical freedom and personal choice, I will be signing out of service for the last time today."

Separately, Washington State University announced that head football coach Nick Rolovich, as well as assistant football coaches Ricky Logo, John Richardson, Craig Stutzmann and Mark Weber, are no longer able to coach because of not complying with the state's vaccine mandate.

LAFAYETTE, Colo. (KMGH) -- A Colorado entrepreneur created a smart water sensor and app with the intention of making sure loved ones are OK.

"Adult children who have an elderly parent that they're worried about who lives alone — that's typically who our customer is," Marlo Vernon said.

Marlo and her father Todd Vernon, a software developer, came together to launch CarePenguin, to detect water usage in the home.

"It's a way to see if someone is up and active, going about their daily routine without being creepy and watching them with like motion sensors or cameras," Vernon said.

The sensor connects to the hot water pipe on the water heater.

"We can detect things like rinsing a mug, washing your hands, washing your face, shower, laundry," Vernon said.

It then connects to an app on a smartphone, so the user can monitor their loved one's activity.

"If there's ever a lack of activity, they'll receive an alert encouraging them to check in and make sure everything's OK," Vernon said.

It's an idea that started from her days at the University of Colorado at Boulder. When she graduated in May 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults were isolated from their families. So, she saw it as a perfect way to give everyone peace of mind.

"I learned what a huge problem this is," Vernon said. "Like, how worried people are, how they call their loved one every day purely to make sure they're still alive. And that's not a conversation that anyone wants to have."

This story was originally reported by Brian Sanders on TheDenverChannel.com.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. —

A woman who was attacked by an alligator Thursday morning in Hilton Head, South Carolina, is alive thanks to some quick-thinking neighbors.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, the attack happened at around 8:15 a.m. on Rookery Way in Hilton Head Plantation.

Deputies say the woman had been walking her dog next to a lagoon behind her home when an eight-foot-long alligator grabbed her legs.

At that point, a neighbor heard the commotion and saw the woman being dragged into the water, according to the sheriff's office. The neighbor called for her husband who grabbed a shovel and beat the alligator until it released the victim.

"The victim’s legs were damaged; however, the full extent of her injuries is unknown, nor do we know if there were any other injuries to the victim," a Hilton Head Plantation (HHP) representative said in an email to residents.

The victim was taken to Memorial Health in Savannah and was able to talk to her daughter while en route to the hospital.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources captured and euthanized the alligator and will examine it to see if it was being fed.

"We are very grateful for the quick thinking and brave neighbors who fought off the alligator and held onto the victim who was being pulled into the water by the alligator. We are also most grateful for the work of our Security Officers and HHI Fire and Rescue, who treated the victim at the scene and transported the victim to the hospital, SCDNR, for their quick response to remove the alligator and the Beaufort County Sherriff’s Deputies for their quick response and assistance," the HHP representative said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and her family."

HHP added that they believe the victim lived alone.

As of Thursday afternoon, there was no information available on the victim's injuries or condition. Her dog was uninjured.

“This is an unfortunate incident. We advise residents to be aware of their surroundings, especially if they are taking walks with small pets near lagoons that are habitats for alligators,” said Joheida Fister, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue Deputy Chief.

A longtime resident of Hilton Head Plantation, Neal Warner, told sister station WJCL he's seen alligators in the area before, but they never bothered anyone.

"I would see them pop into the water, they would never ever linger for us," Warner said.

Warner told WJCL he is now afraid to walk his own dog in the area where the attack happened, despite the alligator being removed.

"It's just not worth it, there are other places to safely walk," Warner said.

You may remember, there have been alligator attacks in Sun City and Sea Pines as well. Both of those incidents also involved someone walking their dog.

Watch the video above for more on this story

Two Northern Kentucky police agencies are warning about a new round of scam calls in which callers ask seniors for money to bail a relative out of jail.

Police in Boone and Kenton counties said the scam caller portrays themselves as one of the victim's family members, like a grandchild or a nephew, and says they have been involved in a crash and are under arrest.

Then, in a "very convincing" follow-up call, someone posing as a lawyer will instruct the victim to hand over cash for reduced bail between $10,000 and $15,000. A "courier" or "bail bondsman" is sent to the victim's home to collect the money. The Kenton County Sheriff's Office said some victims have been instructed to provide gift card numbers over the phone as payment.

"The scammers are very good at picking up personal clues thru the phone conversation and at portraying themselves as the family member, lawyer or law enforcement personnel," read a release from the Kenton County Sheriff's Office.

Bail bond businesses do not exist in Kentucky, and people who are arrested most often pay bonds directly to jails, according to the Boone County Sheriff's Office.

If you receive one of these scam calls, do not give any personal information over the phone. Make the caller say your family member's name, where they are being held and what police agency made the arrest. Then, hang up and call police.

"The scammers will work hard to keep you on the phone and if you try to hang up they are likely to make threats," the BCSO said.

If you're not sure you received a scam call, contact your family member to confirm they are safe, and do not use a phone number a scam caller provides.

To report these calls, contact the Kentucky Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection at (888) 432-9257.

MORE SCAM CALLS: Kidnapping phone scam terrifies parents

CNCINNATI — Linda Hayes said the hardest thing she's ever done is place her husband, Bob, in a nursing home, knowing he will probably never come home again.

Her husband of 47 years suffers from Lewy Body Dementia, which causes him to hallucinate and have delusions, Hayes said. The disease can also make him angry and confrontational.

"It's just not fair," Linda Hayes said as she fought back tears. "He was the most kind, loving man you'd ever want to meet."

Courtesy of Linda Hayes

The challenge of finding the best care for her husband got harder during the pandemic, she said. She had the support of family and friends, but like many people, she was unaware that she could review detailed inspection reports for nursing homes to help inform her decision.

"No, I didn't even know to ask for that," she said.

After states banned visits for months during the pandemic, nursing homes have opened up again as they try to rebound from the worst days of the pandemic.

COVID-19 has killed nearly one out of every 10 nursing home residents, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

There's still so much many of us don't know about living conditions in local nursing homes. So, the WCPO 9 I-Team is trying to make it easier for you to get the information you need to find the best available care for your loved ones.

The I-Team has spent the last two months reviewing records for local nursing homes, including their ratings and inspection reports.

We've created interactive maps showing where you can find the highest- and lowest-rated nursing homes in the Tri-State and important information about each of those facilities.

We also interviewed advocates for nursing home residents and their families who shared key information that helps them identify quality long-term care.

Where to begin

The first step is identifying the type of care your loved one needs. Some people require skilled care, the highest level of long-term care. These facilities have around-the-clock nursing care.

People with Alzheimer's may need what's called memory care: Many people just need help with meals and basic services; those with Alzheimer's typically require assisted care.

The I-Team collected and reviewed records for facilities providing each type of care and the contact information for those facilities.

"It's important to have them close because you are going to be their biggest advocate," said Ashley Burke, an elder law attorney in the firm Burke & Pecquet in Blue Ash.

Lot Tan

Burke helped Linda Hayes with legal issues arising from the care her husband requires.

"It's not about the amenities or the decorations," Burke said. "It's about the care that the staff is providing."

A good place to start looking at quality of care is the Medicare nursing home compare website. It uses a five-star rating system. One star means the lowest rating; five stars mean the highest. It allows you to easily find facilities close to you by entering your address, then using other filters to identify nursing homes within a certain distance.

The website also provides details from federal nursing home inspections of the nursing homes, including any fines paid by the nursing homes.

The I-Team found 113 long-term care facilities within 20 miles of downtown Cincinnati. Twenty-six of them had an overall one-star rating.

Eighteen received an overall five-star rating.

The website breaks down the ratings into different categories: health inspections, staffing and quality of resident care.

The ratings provide a basic guide, but the I-Team found some nursing homes paid fines for poor resident care and still received a higher rating than facilities that had less serious violations.

One other important note: The ratings are based on previous inspections. They are not necessarily an accurate reflection of current conditions.

Still, the I-Team's investigation found the website is useful as a screening tool as part of your research on nursing home care.

Our interactive maps use data from the Medicare website. Each nursing home has a page in our database that contains a link to their individual Medicare inspection data and ratings.

We also included a link to an ongoing investigative project by nonprofit journalism organization ProPublica, which provides a rich collection of additional information about each facility, including the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, along with actual inspection reports for the facilities.

The inspection reports are the most detailed public records available on individual nursing homes. The most serious violations are classified as "IJ" for "Immediate Jeopardy."

Inspection reports include the nursing home's response and a plan to address violations.

Visit, pay attention and ask questions

Before COVID-19, Linda Hayes said she made unannounced visits to nursing homes and requested a tour.

"That's when you really see what goes on behind the scenes," she said.

Something Linda Hayes said is most important to her is that her husband is close to her. He has lived in four different long-term care facilities, and each one has been 10-20 minutes from her home, which makes it easier for her to visit him more frequently.

"I just want him to be happy, if that's possible," she said.

Advocates for nursing home residents say regular visits lead to better care.

Zoom interview

"They're going to be able to be more involved," said Betheny Breckel, who worked as a nursing home social worker for 15 years before she became the district ombudsman for the Northern Kentucky district. "They're going to be able to see if their loved one is getting the care they're needing."

There's a Long-Term Care Ombudsman program in every state, providing guidance for families looking for nursing home care and acting as advocates for residents in those facilities.

Jodi Holsclaw, the regional ombudsman overseeing Northern Kentucky, said guests should eat meals served in the nursing home so they can see the quality of food being served.

"I always encourage families to do that," Holsclaw said. "Is it appetizing? Does it look appetizing?"

Zoom interview

Holsclaw said visitors should pay attention to details that can reveal a lot about how the staff cares for residents.

"Are there spills on the floor," Holsclaw said. "Are residents unkempt? Is their hair really long? Are their nails really long?"

Medicare publishes a nursing home checklist that can help your research, and Burke called the checklist "a good starting point."

While there is so much to consider when making such an important decision, Linda Hayes said it comes down to getting the best care you can afford as close to home as possible.

Then, share what you've learned.

"I hope it helps a lot of people," she said. "If it even helps one person, it will make me happy."

Resources

• Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman program

• Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman program