Resident of Mississauga long-term care home hit hard by COVID-19 details worsening conditions

A resident of a Mississauga long-term care home that was one of the worst hit by the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic said after a change in ownership, conditions have become even worse.

Brenda Ewing first moved into Camilla Care three years ago.

“I’ve been trying to get out of there ever since. As I’ve been told before, ‘You’ve kind of fallen through the cracks, too bad, and too sad, and here you are. You’re stuck’,” said Ewing.

She said through COVID, it’s been horrible.

“They kept moving you around to keep you away from COVID. I had in one room, three people die in front of me,” shared Ewing.

Since Ewing entered the 237-bed home, there was a change in ownership to the company Partners Community Health (PCH), a not-for-profit organization, and Trillium Health Partners in April of 2022. She said that’s when it started to get really bad.

“It’s been terrible. It’s gotten worse. It has gotten much worse. There’s no question about that,” explained Ewing. “You can tell … it all revolves around money and the cutbacks are terrible. They buy stale, dated food and cut every corner.”

Ewing used to run a catering company and said some of the food they are served is “disgusting.”

“The only food that’s decent enough to eat is the stuff that comes in. They probably buy a lot of baked goods,” she shared.

She said her problem doesn’t lie with the staff, who Ewing said are overworked and overwhelmed, but with management.

“A nurse had a breakdown. It was just from overwork. They’re double-shifting and now sometimes they’re working with 10 to 12 to 14 residents. It’s impossible. You can’t do that,” she said.

“I was supposed to have a shower on Monday. I couldn’t have a shower because they were so short staffed. They cancelled all the showers. And this goes on constantly,” she added.

In response to Ewing’s experience at Camilla Care Partners Community Health said they were sorry to hear the complaint but it “does not reflect PCH’s experience operating Camilla Care.” They say PCH has increased staff resources on their team, including the addition of social workers and behavioural support expertise.

They said since acquiring the long-term care home, PCH has reviewed the dietary program and implemented recommendations including the recruitment of a new dietary lead and daily audits on food services.

“Food items received at the home go through several quality assurance controls, including on arrival, during preparation and before being delivered to residents. Our food and dietary service teams are trained to assess food quality and address issues identified,” read PCH’s statement to CityNews.

They added if a resident doesn’t like the food, an alternative food option is provided, or they make a “fresh sandwich of their choice.”

Ewing explained that while she is able to advocate for herself, many other residents cannot.

“It’s called respect. There’s absolutely no respect for the support of the elderly or seniors anymore. There just isn’t,” she said.

Ewing said she’s tried to reach out to management herself, not just about food but other concerns as well, and has not heard back from anyone. She hopes by her speaking out about the conditions of the care home, something can change.

“I’m doing it for the system. Because of the system and the way it is,” she said.

When asked whether she thinks this is the only care home with conditions like Camilla, Ewing said, “I doubt it. I doubt it very much.”

“PCH is proud of our team and the care provided at Camilla though we remain committed to continuous improvement and welcome ongoing opportunities for feedback from staff, residents and families,” continued PCH’s statement. “Any concerns raised either through our councils or in any other manner are escalated to the Camilla leadership team to ensure all elements of care and dignity have been thoroughly considered.”

The Ministry of Long-Term Care said four inspections have been completed at Camilla Care this year to log instances of non-compliance. Most recently on Nov. 11, the inspector concluded that a staff member became aware of their positive COVID-19 result during their shift, destroyed the result and continued to work.

Long-term care homes across the GTA  were especially hard-hit by COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths since the pandemic began close to three years ago.

The province was forced to take over the management of five long-term care homes during the first wave of COVID-19, including Camilla Care, after a scathing report from the Canadian Armed Forces. However, Camilla Care was not one of the homes highlighted in the report.

Ontario has reported a total of 68 deaths at Camilla Care during the pandemic. At least 50 people died during the first wave of COVID-19. Updated information was not available on the province’s website.

The Ministry added that  all homes are required to meet the care standards set out in the Fixing Long-Term Care Act.

“If residents or family members have concerns with the quality of care being provided in a long-term care home, we encourage them to contact the Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line at 1-866-434-0144, which operates 7 days a week,” they said.