Families of residents at Pickering long-term care home devastated by COVID-19 call for investigation after being 'kept in the dark'

Families of residents of a Pickering long-term care home ravaged by COVID-19 have penned an open letter to Premier Doug Ford calling for a “full investigation” into the facility.

In the letter, the group alleges that management at Orchard Villa long-term care home has kept them “in the dark” since the outbreak was announced on April 9.

“While we understand the necessity to abide by health and safety guidelines to ensure the wellbeing of our families, ourselves, and the community at large, we at no time agreed to place our loved ones in another’s care with the understanding that we would receive no communication about their health, safety and wellbeing,” the letter read.

“At the present time, and during the preceding two weeks, information regarding our family members has been withheld from us and this is no longer acceptable to us.”

Four more deaths were reported at the long-term care home on Wednesday, bringing the total number of virus-related deaths at the facility to 47. Two residents of the Orchard Villa retirement home have also died after contracting the respiratory illness.

The facility houses 233 beds and there are currently 145 residents and staff at the long-term care home in isolation after testing positive for the virus. Durham Region Public Health says 11 people at the home have been hospitalized due to COVID-19.

Orchard Villa is one of five long-term care homes in the province where members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed.

Approximately 20 to 25 soldiers are now providing additional operational support at the home, including caring for residents, each day.

Prior to receiving assistance from the military, nurses and doctors at Lakeridge Health stepped in to help run the facility.

“While we would like to thank you for the steps that have been taken to correct the grave decisions and errors that have occurred in Orchard Villa LTCH, we feel we must speak now on behalf our loved ones who have been in lockdown since March 14, 2020 and who therefore cannot speak for themselves,” the statement added.

“They have entrusted their voices to us and we are now demanding to be heard. We are no longer willing to wait on the sidelines while our loved ones die.”

The families are asking for “immediate and complete information” on the safety and wellbeing of residents along with confirmation that residents are receiving “adequate hydration” and “three meals a day.”

The group is also requesting a “full investigation into the practices” of the long-term care home and its owner Southbridge Care Homes.

In a statement released Wednesday, representatives for the facility outlined changes that have been made at the long-term care home in the past week since receiving additional staffing. The statement also noted that members of the patient experience team are now contacting the families of all residents to provide “individualized updates about their loved ones.”

“There has been a lot of progress in a short time to assist our operations and ability to combat COVID-19 at Orchard Villa,” Ryan Bell, CEO of Southbridge Care Homes, said in a written statement.

“I know our community’s residents, families and staff greatly appreciate the support from our partners at Lakeridge Health and the Canadian Armed Forces. We continue to collaborate to provide the care and support that our residents need in this extremely difficult time.”