{"id":14927,"date":"2020-10-08T12:56:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T16:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=14927"},"modified":"2020-11-02T14:16:56","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T19:16:56","slug":"outbreaks-hit-ottawas-long-term-care-homes-despite-1st-wave-lessons-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/outbreaks-hit-ottawas-long-term-care-homes-despite-1st-wave-lessons-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Outbreaks hit Ottawa’s long-term care homes, despite 1st wave lessons"},"content":{"rendered":"

(October 7, 2020)<\/p>\n

By: Julie Ireton, CBC News<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

An Ottawa paramedic arrives at the Laurier Manor in Ottawa on April 26.\u00a0(Justin Tang\/Canadian Press)<\/em><\/p>\n

Families, workers and health-care advocates are wondering how outbreaks in\u00a0Ottawa’s long-term care homes continue to grow, despite the lessons learned during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

“We’ve been really shocked and appalled by what’s going on,” said Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. “The measures that needed to be put in place\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a clear plan, systematic intervention, getting staff into the long-term care homes\u00a0\u2014 just hasn’t happened.”<\/p>\n

Once a care home finds one or two cases, that’s the time to\u00a0bring in extra infection control, isolate patients and test quickly, according to Mehra.<\/p>\n

“None of those things happened in Ottawa,” she said of the recent outbreaks.<\/p>\n

As of Tuesday, 10\u00a0of the city’s long-term care homes were on Ottawa Public Health’s outbreak list.\u00a0 A home is added to that list if it has one or more cases of COVID-19. Half of those homes are run by Extendicare, including\u00a0West End Villa where at least 130 residents and staff have been infected since Aug. 30.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, says provincial measures needed to prevent outbreaks in long-term care homes haven\u2019t happened yet, despite the lessons learned in the spring.\u00a0(CBC)<\/em><\/p>\n

No break from COVID-19<\/h3>\n

So far Jerry O’Brien, a resident of West End Villa, does not have COVID-19, but 83\u00a0fellow residents have tested positive, 19 have died and the home is still waiting for the results of 33 tests.<\/p>\n

“I don’t understand why the numbers are still going up,” said Sharon O’Brien, Jerry’s wife. “I think they’re desperately understaffed.”<\/p>\n

During this outbreak at West End Villa, 47 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n

“One of the real issues is burnout,” said Miranda Ferrier, president of the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association. “We did not have a break from the first [wave of] COVID. We’re dealing with a burnt-out workforce. They’re going to make mistakes.”<\/p>\n

Staff members at West End Villa tell CBC that during the outbreak, the home has relied on workers from outside agencies.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jerry O’Brien visits his wife from outside the fence of his home at West End Villa, a long-term care home in Ottawa. The home has a COVID-19 outbreak.\u00a0(Submitted\/Sharon O’Brien)<\/em><\/p>\n

Agency staff go from ‘home to home’<\/h3>\n

While the province said employees of long-term care homes could only work in one facility,\u00a0this directive does not actually apply to agency workers<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

“Agency staff going from home to home, it is definitely happening,” said Ontario Health Coalition’s Mehra, and she questions if this is the potential cause of spread throughout the Extendicare homes in Ottawa.<\/p>\n

In an effort\u00a0to hang on to the staff members they have, Extendicare is currently paying all its workers time and a half and putting up workers\u00a0in hotels at the company’s expense.<\/p>\n

“We have hired new employees and brought staff in from other areas of the province to replace those sidelined by COVID-19,” said Extendicare communications in an email to CBC.<\/p>\n

‘They’re cutting corners’<\/h3>\n

At Laurier Manor, another Ottawa\u00a0Extendicare home,\u00a025 residents died of COVID-19\u00a0during an outbreak in\u00a0the spring. The home is currently in its second outbreak, with 13 residents and seven staff testing\u00a0positive for COVID-19 since Sept. 1. The Ottawa Hospital has\u00a0taken over management there<\/a><\/span>, as well as West End Villa.<\/p>\n

Provincial reports show that inspectors were inside Laurier Manor in May, June and July after complaints. Issues raised included infection control and prevention, the treatment of a COVID-19 patient and staff not properly wearing masks.<\/p>\n