Concerns grow as COVID-19 continues to take devastating toll on Alberta care homes

Concerns are growing about the devastating toll COVID-19 is once again taking on Alberta's care homes.

There are 102 active outbreaks at continuing care facilities in the province and 375 active cases, a spokesperson for Alberta Health said Tuesday. A total of 2,702 cases have been confirmed at continuing care facilities in the province, and 296 residents have died. 

In the last two days alone, 16 of the province's 25 deaths have been connected to care homes. The largest current outbreak at South Terrace in Edmonton has 69 active cases among residents and 16 deaths. There are also 63 active cases among staff and 30 recoveries. 

Community spread must be reduced, doctor says

Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network in Toronto, said Alberta isn't doing enough to protect its most vulnerable.

"The only way that we're actually going to get this under better control is if we significantly reduce the level of community transmission and make sure these homes have the proper staffing in place," he said. 

Sinha said Alberta is seeing more care home outbreaks and worse outcomes among seniors than its neighbour B.C., which has a larger population. 

He said by not implementing tighter restrictions, the government is framing inaction as a false dichotomy between saving the economy and saving lives — when both can be achieved by reducing community spread. 

"This is a strategy that may protect business but the cost of doing business is a bunch of dead seniors. If that's a formula that works for people in Alberta, well, then there you go. But … these are human beings that basically need our support and protection," he said. 

Sinha said the issues surfacing with care homes during the pandemic are a sign of how senior care has not been a priority.

He pointed to comments made by Premier Jason Kenney in May, when the premier pointed out that the virus was largely killing those older than the average life expectancy and described coronavirus as an "influenza that does not generally threaten life apart from the most elderly."

"It's kind of saying, well, these are people who are already a year past their best before date, for example. So it doesn't really matter. Well, these are Albertans … I think it it it shines a light for any younger Albertan to realize what's in store for you as you age in a province that has never really valued the care of older adults," Sinha said. 

Constantly holding her breath

Joyce Harris can describe firsthand the anxieties that come with the toll the pandemic is taking on care homes. 

Both her husband and mother are in continuing care facilities. 

"I feel like I'm going around constantly just holding my breath, pulling myself in … and thinking, 'no, no, this can't be where my people are," she said.

Harris's mom lives at Carewest George Boyak in Calgary, one of the homes with an outbreak.

"I definitely would like to see more restrictions. I would like to see it lock down like it was back in the spring. I think that's the only way to keep it out of long-term care facilities and to just get a handle on the spread," Harris said.