Outbreak claims veteran, age 101
Daughter concerned about what led to his death at Welland home
Albert Beaupré “lived through everything” in his long life.
“My father was a decorated hero in the war,” said his daughter Patricia Watson.
The Atlantic Star for fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic and the 1939-1945 Star were among medals Watson’s father was awarded for his service as a chief petty officer aboard a Royal Canadian Navy minesweeper during the Second World War.
“The stories he told — back in those days they did crazy things when they were teenagers … All kinds of unbelievable stuff,” she said.
But after all the life-threatening situations Beaupré faced in his 101 years, it was a virus that finally proved too much for him. He died last week — one of at least 16 residents at Royal Rose Place who have lost their lives as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak at the long-term-care home in Welland.
“I never even got to say goodbye to him,” Watson said, struggling with her emotions. “I’m just beside myself.”
Watson echoed concerns expressed by other families about the care their loved ones received at the facility — one of four in Niagara dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks.
Watson said she’s confident her father would have at least lived to celebrate his 102nd birthday on Dec. 31 if he had been living at another longterm-care home.
The home did not respond to emails sent Tuesday and Wednesday, requesting an interview about her concerns.
However, the home’s administrator, Helen Millar, updated families of residents with an email on Wednesday stating that “despite our best efforts and adherence to stringent health and safety protocols, (the outbreak) has resulted in confirmed cases among our resident and staff communities.”
She said the home continues to work closely with Niagara’s public health department and infection prevention and control specialists, while implementing proactive measures to help ensure the comfort, safety and well-being of residents and staff. Millar said 70 residents and 48 staff at the home have tested positive for the virus.
That’s 118 confirmed cases of the virus in total — almost 22 per cent of all 540 cases reported in the Niagara region.
Of those, 47 residents have recovered while 16 have died. Six residents are being treated in hospital and one is being cared for at the home.
In her email, Millar said the majority of staff who were infected have since returned to work and additional staff have been hired in all departments.
She said the home has begun planning for the outbreak to be lifted while implementing social distancing measures.
Millar added that only two residents will be assigned to each table for meals, and staff will continue to be grouped in individual units.
“Activities will involve small groups that allow for social distancing on the unit,” she added.
Watson, a retired registered
nurse, listed several concerns about the care her father was receiving.
She said she wasn’t informed her father was tested for the virus until she asked.
And although she was told his results would be available at the end of that week, she again had to call the home to learn that her father’s test results were positive.
Watson did what she could to help her father, despite not being able to be at his side, including demanding that he be given a list of vitamins to help him recover, including vitamin C, lysine, zinc and vitamin D.
But even that proved to be a struggle, she said, adding she “had to fight for four days” to ensure he would be given the vitamins she requested.
Meanwhile, she said, the home repeatedly assured her that her father “was fine.”
“They kept telling me he had no symptoms.”
She said that changed on Monday last week when staff from the home called her to tell her he hadn’t eaten for three days, “basically telling me he was dying.”
He was dead the next morning.
“I’m sorry, he didn’t go from having no symptoms to dying the next day,” she said. “My father should not have died. Yes, he was 101, but he should not have died.”
Watson said the send-off for her father, a stationary engineer who worked at Atlas Steels for many years, fell far short of honouring the memory of a war veteran.
“The funeral was a nightmare. I could only have 10 people,” Watson said. Allan.Benner@niagaradailies.com 905-225-1629 | @abenner1