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The iron ring is failing

As I read the quotes from the letters written by frontline workers at Grace Villa, I asked myself how can this have happened again? Doug Ford said himself after the report that was published from the Canadian Armed Forces he was going to put an “iron ring” around the long-term homes. Clearly whatever plans put in place by Ford, Christine Elliott and Marrilee Fullerton are just not working. There is something seriously wrong when you have 234 cases and 44 deaths in less than two months. When you have residents not receiving the basics, food, water and proper hygiene this is just blatant elder neglect and abuse and should be subject to a criminal investigation. And now we have the makings of something similar at Roberta Place in Barrie.

Why are the NDP, Liberals and Green party not doing something about this? Andrea Horwath, this happened in Hamilton right under your nose … what are you going to do about it?

Marrilee Fullerton must resign. The people of Ontario need a real leader of this portfolio.

More and more long-term care and retirement home facilities are now going into outbreaks. We are all going to be judged by the way we have treated our most vulnerable during this pandemic but no one more that Ford.

Rick Nault, Burlington

End private ownership in LTC

Grace Villa staff comments stirred up the anger I feel repeatedly with regards to the care of long-term-care residents. I am by no means faulting the staff, they are doing the best they can and from the comments reported, in horrific situations. My anger is directed at the Ministry of Long Term Care, the privatization of the major portion of LTC, where staffing, supplies etc. are abysmally lacking due to the bottom line. The focus on vaccinating the residents has also been lacking. I am a retired Community Care Access Centre Case Manager when the province had 14 divisions of the CCAC. I can say with confidence, had the CCAC still been in operation we would have managed the implementation of the vaccination program in LTCs efficiently. The current LTC situation in Ontario warrants a twopronged approach simultaneously to improve the care and immunization of our LTC residents. Staffing compliments need to be improved immediately with appropriate levels of care, full-time and well paid staff and LTC private ownership needs to end. There needs to be regular inspections of the LTCs with reporting of deficiencies dealt with appropriately and interventions implemented without delay.

Gail Chapman, Hamilton