More private care home closures in Regina leave seniors scrambling

When Kelly Pierson moved her mother into Precious Memories Villa a dementia-friendly personal care home in south Regina in June, she thought the 93-year-old would live there for the rest of her life. But that was not the case.

On Oct. 4, residents of Precious Memories and the nearby Parkview Villa were alerted via an email from Orange Tree Living, the private company that owns the homes, that they would be closing on Nov. 2.

Pierson, like about20 other residents' family members, thought they had until then to arrange for new long-term living accommodations. However,they received another email last Fridaytelling them to bump up their move-out date due to unresolved financial issues.

"We need to close all operations as soon as possible. I'm asking you to do whatever you can to relocate residents as soon as possible," wrote Orange Tree Living CEO Crystal Spooner, attaching a list of personal care homes in the city and phone numbers for Ministry of Health contacts. "It shocks and sickens me to have to do this in this manner."

WATCH | Regina seniors face tight deadline to move out of care home:

More private care home closures in Regina leave seniors scrambling

12 months ago

Duration 2:04

Two more Saskatchewan care homes are facing an uncertain future. Last month, the Regina Lutheran Home announced it would be closing next spring. And now, the Orange Tree Living care homes in the city are also closing their doors, on a much shorter timeline.

While most Precious Memories residents moved out over the weekend, Pierson's mother and two of her roommates remained as of Monday afternoon.

"Some of us don't have the money to pay for two places simultaneously. As a result, we think it's our right to stay here until Oct. 31 at midnight," Pierson said, noting that residents' families haven't heard back from Spooner regarding any refunds.

"They've lived a good life and they deserve better. In my mind, this is elder abuse."

Sue Mitchell, whose 90-year-old mother is also a Precious Memories resident, called the situation "unnerving" for her family. She said they're still looking for answers.

"Why is this happening? Why did it get to this point? Could this have been dealt with months or even a year back? We don't know," Mitchell said.

CBC News has called and emailed Spooner several times, but has not received a response.

Despite being privately owned and operated, the homes are licensed and monitored by the provincial Ministry of Health.

A government spokesperson said in an email that the Saskatchewan Health Authority is working with residents of the closing Orange Tree homes as they consider future living options.

Opposition NDP health critic Matt Love also provided a statement by email.

"The Sask. Party has cut seniors home regulations so much that it feels almost impossible to find a good affordable room for our parents and grandparents these days," Love's statement said. "We've been calling on the government to deliver on a senior's Bill of Rights for a decade, but they haven't made our parents and grandparents a priority."

While Pierson recognizes that it might be too late for her family to stay put, she hopes sharing their story prevents more seniors from being pushed out of their homes on tight deadlines.

"This is your grandparents, this is your parents, your aunts and uncles, your neighbours," she said.

"Times have got to change. Somebody has to stand up and take responsibility. The time is now."