The union representing workers at the home of Hamilton’s largest and deadliest COVID-19 outbreak is calling on Ontario’s provincial government to revoke the operator’s licence.
Hamilton NDP MPP Monique Taylor and SEIU Healthcare President Sharleen Stewart have released a series of letters that they say were written by employees at Grace Villa long-term care home.
The letters describe grotesquely unsanitary conditions and claim that employees did not have the resources, support and necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to adequately look after residents after a COVID-19 outbreak was declared at the facility on Nov. 25.
“The chaos, confusion and outright neglect that took place all while we begged and cried for help, tried to advocate for our residents was surreal to watch and to be a part of,” wrote one worker. “It was heart breaking, traumatizing and it was criminal. ”
They described one “nightmare” shift where they were understaffed and encountered residents lying on mattresses that had been soiled with urine and vomit, many of whom seemed to be suffering from fevers.
“Many of our beloved residents died of Covid,” they wrote. “Basic hydration could have prevented some of those deaths. But nobody would listen.”
Over the course of Grace Villa’s outbreak, 144 residents and 88 staff were infected.
Forty-four of those residents died as a result of COVID-19.
In mid-December, Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) began supporting Grace Villa through a voluntary management contract as staffing at the home had reached “crisis” levels.
Prior to that, SIEU Healthcare had been pleading with the province to ask the federal government to send the Canadian Armed Forces into the home to assist those who were still working.
“Workers at that home called their union literally in tears, begging us to call in the army to help out,” Stewart told Global News.
“Of course, we couldn’t do that. We just sent a letter. But the federal government said that there has to be a request from the province. And the premier stood up, day after day on his press conference at one o’clock, saying that they were told that there was no need to bring in the army.”
The management order remains in place for a mandatory 90-day period, despite the outbreak coming to an end on Jan. 20.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care may decide to extend the order, if necessary.
Stewart said Grace Villa’s employees are concerned about what will happen when HHS eventually leaves.
“They are worried because of the deplorable mismanagement of that outbreak in that home … they are saying that the government should not reinstate this operator to manage that home, to operate that home.”
In an email to Global News, the CEO of APANS Health Services — which operates Grace Villa — said the safety of residents, staff and family members is “paramount” and called the statements in the letters from those front-line workers “deeply concerning.”
“We are continually reviewing our response throughout the outbreak,” wrote Mary Raithby. “We will continue to listen to the best advice in our sector to determine where we can make enhancements to further protect our residents and staff. Our utmost concern is for those in our home.”
She added that management is “saddened” that some workers felt they didn’t have the resources or support they needed and said they’re working to provide staff with the “knowledge, training and resources” to care for residents “now and in the future.”