Problems at Carlingview Manor
This week’s report by members of the Canadian military about their experience working in 5 Toronto long term care (LTC) homes with high levels of Covid-19 was horrifying. For years our health care and seniors’ advocates have been trying to tell us about the state of our broken long-term care system. Staffing shortages, poor pay for workers, inadequate monitoring, and the gradual move to privatization set the stage for the perfect storm.
The Ontario government has done the right thing to take over the management of the 5 Toronto LTC homes. I believe that the province should also take over management of Carlingview Manor in Bay Ward. For weeks we have seen the number of cases and deaths in Carlingview rise at an alarming rate. Families and concerned residents in the ward are pleading for action to save their loved ones.
Carlingview Manor has a history of higher than average complaints for poor maintenance, pests, injury and risk to residents, and non-compliance with basic standards of care. Families have felt unheard for years; they are even more worried since they are not allowed to visit their loved ones. Their calls to management to get updates and information are not being returned.
As of May 29th, 250 staff and residents have tested positive, and there have been 53 deaths from COVID-19.
As a proud board member of Ottawa Public Health, I want to give thanks to our leadership and staff during this crisis. They are the ones who give us direction on staying healthy throughout the pandemic and they also have the responsibility to collect the grim data of COVID-19 outbreaks (see table 1 below)
Let’s acknowledge that the situation at Carlingview Manor is out of control. It’s time for the Government of Ontario to take over management of Carlingview Manor as they did for the 5 LTC’s in Toronto.

