all this in case you were wondering how ltc is doing.
it was may 2020 when canadians gave a collective gasp as the details of the horrific conditions at some of canada’s long-term care homes were revealed in a canadian armed forces (caf) report. the military, called in to help with outbreaks of covid-19,
found shocking
examples of neglect and disregard for human dignity, including old food trays stacked in the rooms of residents, vomit and feces on walls, bug infestations, witnessed patients “crying” for help while staff ignored them as well as signs of dehydration and malnutrition.
of course, none of this was a surprise to many of us, because we were living it. those of us with loved ones in ltc already knew all about the state of so-called “care” long before the pandemic exposed it in all its abhorrence and macabre. we had had our hearts broken, watching our loved ones left sleeping in wheelchairs for hours on end, drool soaking their shirts. we were also exhausted from advocating for the basics, like healthy food and time outdoors, and sad. so sad. all along, caregivers knew well the gaps that were robbing ltc residents of dignity, a decent quality of life, and even their lives: underfunding, lack of staff, facilities that were old and in rough shape, and a dangerous absence of accountability. perhaps even more dangerous was the lack of recognition of caregivers as essential partners in their loved ones care.
not much had changed by the time the pandemic slammed into canada’s ltc homes, locking caregivers and loved ones out and residents catastrophically in. people familiar with ltc knew that these homes were no match for covid. images of distraught and confused residents staring out of dirty windows while their families stood outside with signs became the norm, as did
painted crosses with names of the dead
pushed into ltc lawns as people died, mostly alone. finally, conversations about the dire conditions of ltc life were front-page news instead of sandwiched tightly between stuffy family council meetings and stuffier ltc administrators.