Winnipeg's Parkview Place personal care home closing its doors within the next year: Revera

Winnipeg's Parkview Place Long Term Care Home is beginning the process of closing its doors following a deadly COVID-19 outbreak, a cockroach problem and a licensing review, the company that operates the care home has announced.

Revera, the for-profit company that operates ParkviewPlace,said in a news release Tuesday that it'smade "the difficult but necessary decision" to begin the process and has provided a one-year notice to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

The home will be closedby Aug. 10, 2022, or once all residents have transitioned, the company said.

"We will support Parkview Place's residents and families through this process, and will work closely with WRHA as it plans resident moves to other care homes," the release says.

Paul Turenne, a spokesperson with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority,saysthe personal care home system has capacity for the residents. The health authority will work withindividual residents and their families to find an appropriate spot for them, he said.

The downtown Winnipeg care homewas the site of one of the province's deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks. Thirty people died during the Parkview outbreak, whichbegan in mid-September 2020 and wasn't declared over until Jan. 12.

The company says the decision to close the home "was made independent of the home's heartbreaking outbreak this past winter," but said the COVID-19 outbreakreinforced that decision.

"Its aging infrastructure presents many challenges, including narrow hallways, tight and outdated recreation and very limited outdoor space for residents to enjoy. Parkview Place cannot simply be renovated to meet today's long term care standards,"the release said.

Manitoba Health put its licence under review in December 2019.

The home had a continuing cockroach infestation, as noted in inspection reports at least as far back as 2017.

A surprise inspection in January found there were still cockroaches and noted the building's deteriorating condition.Its licence still has not been reinstated.

Revera says it's working closely with employees at the care homeand their union to help them find employment at another Revera-operated site or elsewhere.

'Nightmare of Parkview Place'

Lisa Muswagon moved her father out ofParkview Place after the outbreak was declared over in January. Heis now living in a different care home.

She says her father was often left alone in soiled clothing.

"It made me feel angry at the system, it made me feel angry at the quality of care our families were experiencing," she said.

"I understand there's COVID and whatnot, but the level of care that was received there was very poor."

She doesn't believe the building's infrastructure is the only reason for the closure, given the issues the home has faced over the last year.

Muswagon says she's glad it's closing.

"The day it shuts down, no other elder will ever have to experience the nightmare of Parkview Place."