Maureen McDermott's mother went from "living to merely existing" after 169 days in isolation at a long-term care home.
"She finally was free. She broke her shackles of the isolation, the neglect, and the absolute disgust of LTC," said McDermott, a caregiver and advocate, of the day her mother passed away.
McDermott was one of a group of York Region protesters outside Minister of Long-term Care Paul Calandra's Whitchurch-Stouffville constituency office Thursday to demand immediate steps to prevent future outbreaks in long-term care homes and decrease the isolation of their residents across the province.
Led by Aurora resident MaryJo Nabuurs, the group of retired nurses, advocates and family members of long-term care residents who met as volunteers with the Ontario Health Coalition, chanted, "Rise up for long-term care" and "Isolation kills," as they marched outside.
According to Nabuurs, a previous request to meet with the minister has been ignored.
The years-long isolation of residents in long-term care has left many without the will to live, said Nabuurs.
"They've been neglected, left dehydrated, without food and without showers and baths for weeks on end, with bed sores and increasing infections and without any meaningful human contact. They've had the misfortune both to be living during a global pandemic and of having a provincial government who has shown again and again. . . that they have very little regard for the elderly."
Julie Perl, an essential caregiver, said her mother died not from COVID-19, but from six months in isolation in her room at a long-term care home.
"Our loved ones need more, they deserve more. Calandra, do your job. Step up. Do something now before you kill any more residents in long-term care," she said.
The group is jaded by the fact that Calandra, who is the third minister of long-term care in the Ford government, chose to hide from the media for weeks after being appointed to the position, said Nabuurs.
"We will not stop. Shame on you (Premier) Doug Ford for passing this on as a third posting. We need a full-time minister in long-term care," said McDermott.
Despite the loosening of restrictions planned by the province, there is still a crisis, said Nabuurs, and new protocols will not "stick" if changes aren't made within long-term care homes.
The group is calling for three "easily actionable" concepts to be implemented, said Nabuurs.
Currently, staff are required to wear N95 masks only where there is an outbreak. Because many long-term care homes are short staffed and staff move from floor to floor, they should all be required to wear both N95 masks and face shields at all times.
With restrictions set to loosen, more visitors will be able to enter long-term care homes and those visitors should also be required to wear N95 masks and face shields, said Nabuurs.
"It should be anybody, at any point, inside of a home."
Ventilation in homes should be improved — there is a provincial funding for ventilation, but very little of it has been seen, she said.
Lastly, staff should receive paid sick days and higher wages so they don't have to choose whether they can feed their families or come to work feeling ill.
For-profit long-term care homes raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars during the pandemic but haven't put money back into the homes, said Nabuurs.
According to Nabuurs there are inconsistencies with how long-term care homes operate across the province and everything to eliminate forced isolation for residents of long-term care homes should be consistent and a provincewide goal.
"Reducing isolation as long as it's safe to do so is paramount. This should be clearly communicated to stakeholders so they are aware that this is the collective goal and should be the driving force in decision making."
Before marching, the group dropped off a letter outlining their demands to the minister's office. Neither Calandra nor his staff was present. According to Nabuurs they're working remotely as a safety precaution during the pandemic.
"You see the irony?" said Nabuurs.
The Ontario government announced on Feb. 10 a $73-million investment over three years to train and provide clinical placements for more than 16,000 personal support workers and nursing students as part of its plan to recruit and retain long-term care staff.
“Our government has a plan to fix long-term care and a key part of that plan is improving staffing and care,” Calandra said in a news release. “This program will support hands-on, clinical training for thousands of PSW and nursing students across Ontario so they can deliver the high-quality care residents need and deserve.”
