Relatives of long-term care residents were joined by Niagara's MPP's at a virtual protest today, against the conditions at senior's homes in the province that continues to see mounting death tolls in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19.
Maureen McDermot from the organization 'Voices of Long Term Care', an organization supporting residents and families of residents, opened the digital meeting by calling for immediate intervention after at least 3,256 seniors died across the province while in the care of publicly- and privately run care homes.
"And I am really sad to report that 17 of these deaths were from not even 12 hours ago. That is 17 funerals in the past 12 hours," said McDermot.
"We need immediate help in there. The military needs to come in. Some of the homes are 100 percent COVID-19 positive."
While the federal government decided to fund the Red Cross to come in to select long-term care and retirement homes before the new year, advocates are calling for the full force of the armed forces, who have doctors, RN's and specially trained staff to help relieve the heavily strained staff.
Attendee Susan Park said her sister has been living at Extendicare in St Catharines after a long history of mental health- and addiction issues that at times left her homeless before getting a spot at the home, following multiple cancer diagnoses.
There, things changed as the second wave of the pandemic hit the home with full force.
"Since December 12 she had been confined to her room. She doesn't get to shower or go for walks," said Park, who said she last spoke to her sister on video call on January 8.
"Her hair was filthy, dirty, and her face was pasty white, and she was sick. I called the nurse who said 'she probably has Covid, the whole floor has it.'. That's 40 days of laying in your bed, staring at the window. It's not just my sister, it's like this for all residents."
Park said she is worried that the current situation will leave her sister with other, permanent health issues once the outbreaks are over.
"How do I look my sister in the face and tell her I can't help her?" said Park in tears of rage.
"After 20 years I got her back and now I am going to lose her again. This is despicable!"
Park said she had received help from the office of Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, who said him and his fellow Niagara MPP's have heard similar stories throughout the pandemic.
"At Extendicare there have been 28 deaths and 77 active cases in residents. 77 of 123 staff are currently active. It is a horrendous number. These are things that could have been avoided. We had a summer before the second wave when all the experts and other MPP's were screaming for something to be done," said Burch.
On top of calling in the military to assist in handling the acute situation, the meeting also called for staff recruitment programs to be implemented and more rigorous inspections to ensure quality of life for the residents.
"We should have prepared for this and we didn't. We have to make sure we replace these for-profit situations with public care, make sure people have full-time jobs and are paid properly, trained properly and that they are treating our parents and grandparents with respect."
MPP Wayne Gates shared more harrowing numbers from the local impact of the pandemic on Niagara's senior's homes;
"I found out about the Oakwood Park Lodge on December 22. 117 residents, 96 percent of the residents, had tested positive, as well as 126 staff, 100 percent of them. I begged the minister for long term care, I called her every day and begged for the military to come in."
"The dying needs to stop."
