Trudeau shocked by report on Ontario's long term care homes; Ford launches an investigation

#Ontario; #Canada; #OntarioLongTermCareHomes; #CanadianArmedForces 

Ottawa, May 26 (Canadian-Media): Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said May 26 he was shocked, saddened, disappointed and angry after reading “deeply disturbing” report of Canadian Armed Forces members' findings of the treatment of elderly residents in Ontario's long term care homes, media reports said.

Justin Trudeau. Image credit: Facebook page

“I believe we are talking about a situation that clearly is a reality associated with COVID-19 but has also existed for quite some time,” he said.

Military service members, who had been assisting the long term care April 28, say they have observed numerous forms of unhygienic and dangerous behavior including: repeated use of medical equipment between numerous patients, without it being disinfected, improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by staff and doctors;  housing of COVID-19 patients with other residents who had not tested positive; Staff being aggressive with residents during medical procedures, residents calling for help with no response for up to two hours, presence of insects, including cockroaches.

Trudeau said that he had shared the report detailing what CAF members saw with Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

"Reading those reports was the hardest thing I've done as premier, knowing so much more needs to be done," Ford said Tuesday.

Doug Ford. Image credit: Twitter handle

"Until yesterday morning, we didn't know the full extent of what these homes, what these residents, were dealing with."

An investigation that could lead to criminal charges against five long-term care homes rocked by COVID-19 has been launched by the province of Ontario, said Ford.
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The report lists five facilities, along with their most recent death tolls attributed to COVID-19.
Trudeau said that from the very beginning of the start of this pandemic, he had been telling the provinces they need to do a better job for the seniors in long-term care right across the country, through this pandemic and beyond.

Of total COVID-19-linked deaths in the province, Nearly 77 percent were residents in long-term care homes, according to the Ministry of Health. 

Trudeau said the need to improve standards of care for seniors in long-term care homes across the country is obvious from the report and added the federal government will support the provinces to do that going forward. Long-term care falls under provincial jurisdiction.

"We need to do a better job of caring for the people who built this country," Trudeau said. "The greatest generation saw us through World War Two. We need to be there to support them properly through this global crisis." 

In the meantime Ontario and Quebec have requested an extension of the CAF deployment in long-term care facilities.