Family pulls dad from Parkview Place care home due to concerns over treatment

Source: reveraliving.com

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba family has removed their father from the Parkview Place Long Term Care Home, alleging that he was not receiving proper care.

A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her dad was placed at Parkview Place while he was waiting to be transferred to the care home of his choice.

She said once he was there, she realized she had very little access to her father.

“Thirty minutes three times a week if we were lucky,” she said.

“And then after a couple visits it was apparent that we had some concerns about him being in there.”

On Sept. 14, the woman was notified that a staff member, who had been caring for her father, tested positive for COVID-19, so her family started the process to try and get him out of the facility.

The woman said her family was informed Public Health had to allow the move.

FAMILY GROWS CONCERNED OVER QUALITY OF CARE

"Every time we talked to my dad, we grew more and more concerned that he wasn't getting the care he needed,” she said.

“He was not eating, he was not able to swallow his medication, he said they were always rushing him and throwing him around like a ragdoll to get him dressed."

Eventually, the woman’s father, who has Parkinson’s, was taken to the hospital, where he was also tested for COVID-19.

"In the meantime, the cases were growing and the staff were more and more testing positive, and obviously we were very concerned that he was going to get COVID in there,” she said.

To make sure their dad wouldn’t have to return to Parkview Place -- which has reported 89 positive cases as of Oct.14 – the woman said they called as his caregivers. She alleged they received “backlash” for trying to ensure he didn’t go back.

"We basically had to pick him up ourselves and take him home and hire private care for him," she explained.

BACKLOG IN CASES CAUSED DELAY IN POSITIVE TEST RESULTS

Once her dad was home, she said she continuously followed up to get his COVID-19 test results and started to panic when they weren’t hearing anything.

She tried to call Health Links on Sunday, Oct. 11 but wasn’t able to get through, so she followed up again the next day.

"That is when we were told that he was positive and that the results were available Friday, but they were so backed up that no one phoned us,” she said.

"So in the meantime, he is getting care from family members who are now exposed to COVID because we didn't know he had it and it took so long for them to tell us after me phoning."

The woman said throughout this experience she felt like she was fighting the system that was supposed to be protecting her father.

"I feel like if we didn't force them to send them to the hospital – we had to beg them to send him to the hospital – he would be in dire straits and he has COVID," she said.

UNION FILES GRIEVANCE AGAINST CARE HOME

She noted she’s also concerned Parkview Place doesn’t have enough staff to properly look after its residents.

On Thursday, Oct. 15, CTV News Winnipeg reported the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) filed a grievance against Parkview Place.

CUPE, which represents 163 support staff at the care home, said it filed the grievance due to unsafe working conditions.

As of Oct. 15., the province announced all care homes in the Winnipeg area will be moved to the red or critical level on the province's pandemic response system.

A spokesperson for Revera, which owns Parkview Place, said the WRHA manages the admission and discharge process for care homes.

In a statement they said: "We are not permitted to comment on the care of any of our residents, out of respect for their privacy.

"The team at Parkview Place is making every effort to reach out to families with updates by phone, as well as through frequent emails or automated voice messages."