The family of 80-year-old Lorne Montague is dealing with the loss of a cherished father and grandfather.
The senior was a resident of the McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre in Calgary. Montague tested positive for COVID-19 and died less than a week later.
His son, Greg Montague, is trying to come to terms with the grief.
“There’s so many emotions. I’m sad and angry,” Greg said.
“We all loved my grandpa a lot and didn’t get to see him as much as we would have liked. We didn’t want him to die alone in that home without family. It’s hard to accept how things happened for him,” Greg’s daughter Alyssa Montague said.
The family went to see him the day before he died.
“You could tell by looking at him he was suffering and it was the last goodbye and he knew it was time,” Alyssa said.
The Montague family said communication was not consistent about his condition.
“When the nurse phoned to let me know he passed away, she asked about a funeral home, to get him picked up, and I was thinking, ‘No, I wasn’t shopping around for funeral homes because the last update I had he was doing better,'” Greg said.
Revera runs the McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre and confirmed that there have been four deaths related to COVID-19 at the facility.
Revera’s medical health officer said she could not speak to specific details but noted that staff communicate regularly with family members, keeping them up to date on conditions. She said it’s not unusual for a resident’s condition to improve or deteriorate rapidly and unpredictably.
Families of other McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre residents say that level of communication is nowhere near enough.
Nina Vaughn’s father Lorne tested positive for COVID-19.
“My father served 36 years in the military for this country and this is what he gets,” Vaughn said.
“I’m just really scared and I want him to know we love him and I’m fighting really hard to talk to him.”
She said she is pleading with management for additional staff to help with communication through FaceTime and phone calls.
“If something happens and I don’t get to talk to my father, I will never forgive Revera for that. Ever,” Vaughn said.
“It’s not complicated to come up with a communication plan to allow people to talk to their isolated family members who are scared and confused.”
In addition to Vaughn’s father, both her aunt Doreen Gauvreau and uncle Sylvio Gauvreau have also tested positive for COVID-19.
The Gauvreaus’ daughter, Renee Laboucane, spoke to Global News from her home in Nanaimo, B.C.
“Not knowing if they’re deteriorating or if they’re OK — a simple phone call will help us feel better. It’s the unknown causing us fear. It’s a heartbreaking situation no matter how you look at,” Laboucane said.
Collins said she understands and shares the fears.
“We are doing everything, in partnership with Alberta Health Services, to protect the health and safety of everyone, communicating as often, as possible,” Collins said.