Abuse reported in Sault, northern Ontario nursing homes

Three nursing homes in northern Ontario rank among the 20 Ontario nursing homes with the highest-reported rates of staff-to-resident abuse, according to a report compiled by CBC

Extendicare Maple View in Sault Ste. Marie, Lady Dunn in Wawa and St. Joseph’s Manor in Elliot Lake are included on that list.

Since 2010, Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes Act has required long-term care homes to report all suspected incidences of abuse.

The Sault’s 256-bed Extendicare Maple View long-term care home, the report showed, had 26 reported cases of staff-to-resident abuse between 2011 and 2016 in CBC’s year-long investigation. That’s a rate of 10.16 incidents per 100 beds.

From 2011 to 2016 there were two reports of abuse at the 16-bed Lady Dunn long-term care home in Wawa, a rate of 12.50 incidents per 100 beds.

At Elliot Lake’s 64-bed St. Joseph’s Manor, there were seven reported incidents, a rate of 10.94 incidents per 100 beds from 2011 to 2016. 

“We take this responsibility very seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse,” wrote Carly Brown, Extendicare Maple View administrator, in a response to CBC.

The national broadcaster spotlighted the problem of abuse incidents in Ontario long term care homes in a Marketplace episode, aired Jan. 26.

“Over the past year we have provided training to all of our staff to review Residents Rights and our Zero Tolerance of Abuse and Neglect Policies. This training will continue to be reviewed annually with our staff members and is provided in orientation for all of our new staff members,” Brown responded.

“Additionally we continue to provide education throughout the year in the form of read and signs, pop quizzes, on-line and in classroom education,” Brown wrote.

The response from Wawa’s Lady Dunn long-term care home to CBC was more defensive in tone.

“The definitions pertaining to abuse under the Act are extremely broad,” wrote Kadean Ogilvie-Pinter, Lady Dunn Health Centre CEO.

“We encourage our staff to err on the side of caution and to report any suspected incident, even if they are not sure it constitutes abuse, to ensure our residents are living in a safe environment.”

“We are a very small home with only 16 beds, and any reports or statistics would need to be considered in this context…If you can provide the basis for your conclusion that we are one of the 20 homes in Ontario with the highest rate of reported staff-to-resident abuse per 100 beds, we will give further consideration to your questions,” wrote Ogilvie-Pinter in her reply to CBC.

Elliot Lake’s St. Joseph Manor did not provide a response.

CBC states it obtained its information through Freedom of Information requests, which showed abuse and neglect reports involving caregivers and residents submitted by nursing homes through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s critical incidents system (CIS) between 2011 and 2016.

CBC said some of the reports of abuse were found to be unsubstantiated upon investigation. The ministry's definition of abuse includes physical, sexual, verbal and emotional abuse.

The broadcaster noted the ministry’s definition of ‘abuse’ is much broader than in any other Ontario health care setting because it includes verbal and emotional abuse or neglect. 

CBC reported some of the homes wrote ‘verbal abuse’ can include calling a resident ‘dearie,’ which is considered to be ‘belittling language.’

The CBC Marketplace report also listed 20 Ontario nursing homes with the highest-reported rates of abuse between residents.

No Sault or Algoma region homes were on that list.

Many of the homes, including Extendicare Maple View, stated seniors suffering from dementia can be aggressive, leading to more violence between residents. 

In its reply to CBC, Extendicare Maple View wrote “We use a variety of strategies to prevent escalating emotions and help calm and redirect residents who demonstrate responsive behaviour.”

“In addition, Extendicare Maple View collaborates with Behavioural Support Ontario (BSO) and has an internal team of BSO professionals who are tasked with developing Care Plan interventions for residents who exhibit responsive behaviours and to support the Home and our staff in the application of these interventions.”