The inspection system for long-term care facilities in Ontario crumbled in the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a dire situation where the safety of residents and staff was compromised due to inadequate oversight, according to a recent report by the province's ombudsman, Paul Dubé.
The report, released on a Thursday, sheds light on the breakdown of the inspection process within long-term care homes in Ontario during the early stages of the pandemic. Dubé expressed his concern, stating that the system was ill-prepared to face the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19. The report revealed a startling fact: there were no inspections conducted in long-term care facilities in Ontario for seven weeks during the spring of 2020, and inspection reports were not issued for two months. This significant lapse in oversight left facilities without the necessary supervision precisely when hundreds of individuals lost their lives within a matter of weeks.
Dubé emphasized the importance of inspections for effective oversight of the long-term care system, a system that was already under strain before the pandemic struck. The report deemed the lack of planning and preparedness by the ministry overseeing care homes as "unreasonable, unjust, and wrong." In response, the ombudsman's office put forward 76 recommendations to address these issues.
The report underscores the expectation of Ontarians that their public services learn from the COVID-19 experience and be better prepared for future health crises. Stan Cho, the newly appointed Minister of Long-Term Care, acknowledged the province's acceptance of all of the ombudsman's recommendations and noted that progress had already been made on more than half of them. He highlighted the creation of a new investigations unit and the introduction of monetary penalties for those who do not meet standards.
The human toll of the pandemic on long-term care facilities in Ontario was substantial. Between March 2020 and April 2022, 4,335 residents and 13 staff members lost their lives. The report reveals that inspections were completely halted for a seven-week period from mid-March to May, during which time 720 COVID-related deaths occurred in these facilities.
The report has drawn strong reactions from various quarters. NDP MPP Wayne Gates, the Opposition's critic for long-term care, characterized the findings as "very disturbing" and an "absolute failure" on the part of the provincial government. The ombudsman's recommendations aim to ensure the safe and high-quality care of seniors in long-term care homes across the province.
This report from the ombudsman is not the first criticism leveled against the province's handling of COVID-19 in long-term care. Earlier reports from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2020 and Ontario's auditor general in 2021 had already raised concerns. In this context, Paul Dubé's investigation focused specifically on inspection and enforcement activities.
The report reveals a system breakdown in the early weeks of the pandemic, with inspections halted due to a lack of safety measures for inspectors, who had neither personal protective equipment nor infection control training at their disposal. Instead of conducting inspections, inspectors were redirected to offer support to care homes. When inspections eventually resumed, only volunteers were sent to facilities with outbreaks, and inspectors often imposed lenient penalties or allowed homes several months to rectify serious issues.
The report provides a case study of Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, which experienced a significant COVID-19 outbreak resulting in multiple deaths. Despite the seriousness of the issues found during an inspection, including staff and residents not following safety protocols, the ministry did not revoke the home's license as recommended by policy. Instead, the home was given three months to address the issues.
The ombudsman's recommendations include regular training for inspectors, ensuring adequate personal protective equipment, clear guidelines for on-site inspections, the availability of infection control experts for inspections, immediate compliance orders for situations posing ongoing risks, and an increase in inspection staff.
Paul Dubé expressed satisfaction with the ministry's response to his recommendations, with more than half of them already partially or fully implemented.
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