Manitoba needs seniors' advocate, families of long-term care residents who died of COVID-19 say

Families of Manitobans who died in personal care homes tied purple ribbons outsidea Winnipeg long-term care facility on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to call for better treatment of seniors in the province.

The ribbons were hung outside of Maples Long Term Care Home, where 56residents died from COVID-19during an outbreakdeclared last October.By the time it ended after nearly three months, 157residents and 74 staff had beeninfected, according toareportcommissioned by Manitoba Health.

Eddie Calisto-Tavares's father, 88-year-old Manuel Calisto, was among those who died. She wants the province to learn from the mistakes at Maples and appoint an independentadvocate for seniors.

"Many of us that lost our loved ones in long-term care [think] that it was due to neglect that we had these major outbreaks. It was due to the lack of planning, the lack of investment, the lack of resources," Calisto-Tavares said.

"An independent seniors' advocate would be aplace where people who don't know where to go, or families that are not as loud as me [could] come out and ask for what we need for our loved ones."

Manitoba's Official Opposition party also wants to see an advocate appointed.

"This independent body should have a mandate to investigate systemic inequalities in long-term care and other services and publicly report their findings," said Manitoba NDP health critic and Union Station MLA Uzoma Asagwara.

"We owe it to the generations that came before us to shed light on inequities and pursue a stronger, more compassionate system."

Blake Robert, the director of media relations for the province's executive council, says the concept of an independent seniors' advocate isn't under active consideration at this time because the province's ombudsman performs many of the same functions.

Results of Maplesreview

The province ordered anexternal reviewinto the Maples outbreakfollowingthe night of Nov. 6, whenparamedics were called to thefacilityto care for a dozen rapidly deteriorating residents.

When ambulances arrived, two residents receiving end-of-life care had died, including one who had COVID-19, officials previously said. The next day, health officials said eight people had died at the 200-bed care home in the preceding 48 hours.

WATCH | Eddie Calisto-Tavares remembers her father:

There was always room at Manuel Calistos dinner table for more

4 years ago

Duration 2:14

Eddie Calisto-Tavares lost her father, Manuel, to COVID-19 on Nov. 11.

Manuel Calisto died on Nov. 11with his daughter at his side.

"There was no way I was going to allow him to die alone and feel that he wasn't loved," Calisto-Tavares said.

The review, which was conducted by Dr. Lynn Stevenson and released in February,found the facility wasn't prepared for a sudden staffing shortage.Itmade 17 recommendations for the care home, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba's health incident command structure and health department.

Calisto-Tavares says she's upset that the recommendations haven't been implemented yet.

"Nothing has happened so far. I will continue to use my voice, and so will other families collectively, until we bring some of these changes," she said.

The province says it hascreated an implementation plan and released a progress report last monthto monitor the progress on the report's 17 recommendations.

To do that, the province is establishing13 working groups with members from government, health care and long-term caretoaddress the recommendations. A steering team will oversee it all.

The progress report says 12 working groups hadbeen formed as of May 9, and four of those groups hadheld meetings with members.

The province has also hired a consultant to provide support to the working groups.

The Maples care home has also updated its pandemic protocols and is inviting family members of residents to take part in a council to help in the decision-making process on matters affecting the daily lives of residents, the progress report says.