Families, politicians, call for investigation into Extendicare Countryside in Sudbury, Ont.

Martha Dillman · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 7:46 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Sudbury-area NDP members of parliament and household members are calling connected the Minister of Long-Term Care to unfastened an probe into a section semipermanent attraction home.

Jamie West and France Gélinas held a associated property league Wednesday astir Extendicare Countryside. They were joined by household members of residents surviving successful the facility.

The installation opened past year, and since past has been plagued by issues, investigations and disapproval from loved ones of residents.

"I get complaints from each portion of our wellness attraction system," Nickel Belt NDP MPP and wellness professional France Gélinas said. "But I started to get a batch of complaints astir what was happening astatine Countryside."

Gélinas said she was amazed to perceive the authorities issued a cease to admit bid for the facility.

"This is simply a precise superior order," she said. "You don't spot this happening precise often astatine all. It happens due to the fact that things were not harmless for residents."

Mina Thibeault's aunt Rose Brown is 1 of the residents astatine the facility. Thibeault said she started to interest  about the attraction her aunt was receiving, and noticed she was being near successful the aforesaid covering for days and a deficiency of assistance from staff.

"When Rose has an mishap successful her bed, the mattress is not decently disinfected and soiled apparel are near lying around," she said.

"Recently erstwhile this happened, Rose was fixed a towel to cleanable herself up. Staff did not assistance her successful immoderate mode adjacent though Rose said she needed help."

Thibeault said determination person been issues with her aunt not getting her medicine connected docket and delays successful ordering aesculapian tests.

"The strategy is breached and things request to change," she said. "It's not close that unit person been proven to neglect our loved ones."

'Strict standards'

Last September, the installation was issued 3 compliance orders from the Ministry of Long-Term Care and aggregate notifications and compliance orders person been issued since then.

On April 16, West and Gélinas sent a missive to Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care, Natalia Kusendova-Bashta.

In it, they said they person established "good lines of connection with Extendicare Countryside." 

"While we admit the efforts being made by some the installation and your Ministry to code the issues astatine Extendicare Countryside, we person besides received profoundly troubling accusation that is not aligned with the standards of attraction we judge your ministry expects of a semipermanent attraction installation successful Ontario," the missive states.

"The opposition betwixt what is being reported by Extendicare's elder absorption and the experiences being shared by those connected the crushed is stark."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Long-Term Care said each semipermanent attraction homes successful the state are required to conscionable the "strict standards outlined successful the Fixing Long-Term Care Act."

"The Ministry has been actively monitoring the Extendicare Countryside semipermanent attraction location done regular inspections and on-going engagement with the licensee and management," the connection said.

"The Cease of Admissions Order volition stay successful effect and volition lone beryllium lifted erstwhile the ministry is assured the location has achieved afloat compliance with ministry standards and has shown they are capable to support that compliance moving forward."

In a statement, Extendicare said it welcomes the ministry's beingness connected site.

"While we are encouraged by the advancement that has been observed by the ministry, we admit that we indispensable stay focused connected continuing to amended care," the connection said.

"We are acrophobic by MPPs Gélinas and West's cognition that determination is simply a discrepancy betwixt the ministry's observations and the feedback they are hearing. We proceed to perceive and stay focused connected improvement."

Extendicare besides said a fig of actions person been taken, including a heavy cleanable of the location and enlargement of the interior housekeeping team, a absorption connected unit to amended attraction consistency, acquisition for unit connected medicine absorption and accrued manager enactment for mealtimes.

"We proceed to big regular municipality halls for residents and families, conscionable regularly with our Resident and Family Councils and promote ongoing feedback arsenic we proceed to enactment to amended attraction each day."