By Andrea Rose, Personal Support Worker

The conditions in publicly funded long term care facilities have long been less than ideal but most are not aware of the conditions in private retirement facilities. With the illogical and inhumane lockdown rules imposed during this pandemic, it has become even more unbearable for our elderly. Lockdown after lockdown has been justified by faulty positive tests from residents with few to no symptoms (i.e. runny nose or scratchy throat). How could Public Health officials see this as sufficient grounds to separate and lock away seniors and leave them feeling lonely for extended periods of time? Solitary confinement is how prisoners are punished. Have they no consideration for the mental health of seniors who were likely already missing their families? Now they were condemned to solitary confinement for reasons that some could not even understand.

The latest lockdown in July 2022 affected 6 out of the 300 residents directly — one tested positive for Covid and because the other five shared the same dinner table — all were confined to their rooms for 10 days. Their rooms were not cleaned, nor the beds changed for this entire period. This is both unsanitary and cruel treatment of human beings. One senior was so traumatized that he stopped eating and drinking for the full 10 days. It is a miracle that he is still alive and doing well.

Another shining example of absurd rules during this particular lockdown was the attempt to make the dining area “safer” by piling everyone into one room instead of using the two available rooms. The facility I work for has a large dining room as well as a smaller tearoom. However, the new Covid protocol stated all residents were now to be restricted to just the dining room, while only 10 feet away, the tearoom was locked up and empty. Additionally, the hairdresser was denied access to the facility for the lockdown period and the tuck shop was closed. Residents requiring incidentals like toothpaste and tissues were forced to go without. Where is the logic in this?

One would naturally assume that in a health care facility, cleanliness and personal hygiene would be of the utmost importance. Keeping patients comfortable and clean should be top priority and an automatic given, yet this is not the case. For example, for each resident, PSWs only have access to 2 facecloths, 2 hand towels and 2 shower towels for an entire week. One facecloth is for hands, back and face, while the other is for peri-care. Can you imagine using the same washcloth everyday on the peri area? I believe this is leading to multiple urinary tract infections among residents as using a dirty cloth is not sanitary. In an attempt to prevent this, PSWs will try to use strategies such as using the opposite end of the same hand towel for different areas. There is no opportunity to use extra cloths as they are locked up.

Nothing is included with the $4000 monthly rent except 4 walls and meals served in the dining room — no services at all — EVERYTHING is extra!! Some of the extra costs include (roughly): $56 for a 30 minute room cleaning, $17 for a mealtime reminder, $7 for a meal tray delivered to a room, $100 for help with a shower, $500 annually for maintenance and $500 monthly to have a nurse dispense medication.

To make matters worse, last month the residents received notice of a rent increase of $130-$180 monthly. This is nothing short of highway robbery of our vulnerable seniors. They are paying more and more for less and less. These private corporations do not give a damn about our seniors. They only see dollar signs. To illustrate this point more clearly, let me tell you what happened to a resident just one week ago. A lady fell during her stay at the facility and was admitted to hospital. When she returned, she was in a wheelchair and also had a urinary catheter. This lady drinks copious amounts of liquids, thus filling her catheter bag often. In talking to her, I was very upset to learn that she is not seeking help to have the bag emptied regularly because she knows it costs her more money every time a nurse walks through her door.

Is this how we want our seniors to be treated? I should hope not! And now Doug Ford wants to privatize all health care. This is not good news for Canadians at any stage of life. In short, our seniors are being fleeced and extorted by our governments, health officials and private corporations. We need to stand up and protect them. We will all be seniors someday.