“A pandemic is an inopportune time to create a nuanced, well-thought-out and thorough response plan.” – Long-Term Care Covid-19 Commission

On May 19, 2020, in an effort to investigate the deplorable conditions witnessed in many Long-Term Care homes across the province, Ontario launched the Long-Term Care Covid-19 Commission (the “Commission”). On Friday, April 30, 2021, the Commission submitted its final report (the “Report”) to the Minister of Long-Term Care which only confirmed what the province already knew – vulnerable elders were subject to neglect and abuse long before Covid-19 came knocking on Canada’s door. CanAge, a seniors’ advocacy group, described the Commission’s findings as “both a call to action and horror.”

The Report painstakingly depicts a picture of the nightmarish conditions experienced by the residents of certain Long-Term Care Homes in Ontario. The Commission compared the mental health effects suffered by some residents to those faced by prisoners in solitary confinement. This abandonment of one of our most at risk communities is disgraceful.

The Commission pointed to the extreme lack of coordination between government decision-makers as a key finding in its study. Perhaps what was most alarming, was the finding that dozens of residents in homes hit hard by the virus died from dehydration and neglect rather than Covid-19. Though Covid-19 shed light on the inhumane conditions of some homes, this is not a novel problem. The government’s delay in responding to this crisis proved to be deadly in more ways than one.

The Report recommended that the government reconsider the management of Long-Term Care homes with a renewed focus on “quality care.” Of particular note, the Commission cautioned against Long-Term Care homes owned by investors as “care should be the sole focus of the entities responsible [for these homes] …” The Report also criticized the government’s “lack of urgency” to the situation.

If lessons were not learned from this tragedy, then the deaths of so many will have been in vain. Let’s hope the government responds to this Report with immediate action.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Ian Hull and Tori Joseph