OSHAWA– NDP MPP Jennifer French (Oshawa) has released a statement after Whitby Town Council passed a motion calling for the Long-Term Care Commission to examine the tragic deaths of residents at the Sunnycrest Nursing Home:
“The situation at Sunnycrest Nursing Home is a tragedy that could have been avoided. We’ve already seen 113 residents and 47 staff members infected with this virus, and 11 lives have been lost. Every day, I hear from distraught families deeply worried about the safety of a loved one living at Sunnycrest.
The inspector’s report reveals an appalling lack of basic infection prevention and control or visitor screening, with chronic understaffing and overstretched PSWs forced to work without proper PPE. This for-profit home has failed in its duty to protect residents and staff, and as the inspector said, 'did actual harm' to the seniors in their care.
Ford is sitting on $12 billion in unspent COVID-19 funds that could have been used to protect residents and staff in this home. He failed to prepare for the second wave of this pandemic, and he’s allowed private, for-profit operators to continue to leave our most vulnerable exposed to the virus.
I fully support the motion passed unanimously by Whitby Town Council to request that the Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission investigate the circumstances that led to these deaths. Families deserve answers, and to know the truth about why their loved ones were not given the protection they were promised when Ford told Ontarians he would put an 'iron ring' around our long-term care homes.
This is yet another example of why profiteering companies can’t be trusted to provide the level of care and support that residents deserve. That’s why the NDP has released a plan to take the profit out of long-term care, and create a new, public and non-profit system where every dollar goes directly to residents — not to corporate profits.” |
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