Union asks premier to take control of Scarborough long-term care home amid pandemic
Extendicare Guildwood had 10 resident cases on May 1, facility now has 93
A union that represents health-care workers is calling on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to take control of a Scarborough long-term care home after the facility reported a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 resident cases in the last three weeks.
Sharleen Stewart, president of SEIU Healthcare, said the provincial government should take administrative charge of Extendicare Guildwood, 60 Guildwood Parkway, because the home is having trouble containing an outbreak of the virus and management is affected.
"Frankly, we don't know who is in charge," Stewart said in a news release on Saturday. "We need action now."
On May 1, Extendicare Guildwood had 10 resident cases and one staff case, but as of May 23, it has 93 resident cases and 25 staff cases.
There have been 27 deaths of residents at the home since the pandemic began, according to the home.
Nik Chandrabalan, regional director of Extendicare, confirmed in an email on Saturday that two members of its management team have contracted the virus.
"There are a number of Guildwood staff who have not been able to come to work due to the COVID-19 outbreak, including two members of our management team," Chandrabalan said.
"Replacement managers from other Extendicare locations have been brought in to fill their roles and we have hired 30 new staff to the home. We also reached out to the Scarborough Health Network, [which] is providing hospital staff to help us ensure that we meet the needs of our residents and maintain a safe working environment."
Chandrabalan said the home is working with its partners, Toronto Public Health and the Scarborough Health Network, to maintain a safe environment for its residents and staff.
"We know how concerning this time is for families, and we will continue to keep them informed. Families met yesterday with the management and clinical leaders in the home via Zoom, and future meetings are planned," he said.
Gillian Sloggett, spokesperson for Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, minister of long-term care, said the home has implemented "increasingly stringent measures" to protect residents and staff.
Sloggett said the ministry of long-term care, the Central East Local Health Integration Network and the Scarborough Health Network are all working with the home.
"We can confirm that a number of actions are underway at the home. The Scarborough Health Network has partnered with the home and along with the Central East LHIN are working to bring in registered staff to provide additional staffing support," she said.
"Public Health Ontario conducted an infection prevention and control assessment this week and highlighted no concerns with managing the outbreak. The home does not report a shortage of personal protective equipment, and staff are using appropriate PPE when providing resident care," she added.
"In addition, we continue to monitor and track the conditions at Extendicare Guildwood day and night."
She said ministry inspectors have been in regular contact with long-term care homes across the province to ensure they are getting support, have enough staff in place and have an appropriate supply of personal protective equipment.
"Furthermore, during this pandemic, Extendicare Guildwood has an assigned support person from the Ministry of Long-Term Care who is in frequent contact to check and ensure they have everything they need."
Home is one of many that union says needs help
Steward said the union asked the province in an open letter on May 14 to take control of several long-term care homes that it considered in crisis, but said the government did not act.
These homes, where the union says its members have a "loss of confidence" in management, include:
- Orchard Villa in Pickering.
- Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke.
- Sienna Altamont Care Community in Scarborough.
- Downsview Long Term Care in North York.
- Sienna Camilla Care Community in Mississauga.
- The Village of Humber Heights in Etobicoke.
Under an emergency order issued May 13, the government gave itself the power to issue a "mandatory management order" to a long-term care home that is struggling with a COVID-19 outbreak.
"This order would support the use of rapid, immediate and effective management alternatives to protect residents and staff within a home. The manager could be any person, including a corporation or a hospital," the government said in a news release on May 14.
The government said management assistance may be required if homes face challenges such as "a high number of cases among residents or staff, a high number of deaths, an outbreak that has not yet been resolved, significant staffing issues or outstanding requirements from infection prevention and control assessments."
The government said it will decide which homes to which the order will apply on a case-by-case basis.
Stewart also called on the province to commit to public inquiry into long-term care homes in Ontario. Long-term care homes have seen a staggering number of deaths from COVID-19.
"Families and workers deserve real answers before another wave of COVID-19 next winter," Stewart said.
SEIU Healthcare represents more than 60,000 healthcare and community service workers across Ontario. Members work in hospitals, home care, nursing and retirement homes, and community services.