Peel Nursing Homes (five municipal, two private) -Snapshot “complaints” data ATTN: BOOMERS
September 14th, 2008
Back in the early 90′s my grandmother had need for a nursing home. We brought her to Mississauga and into a Mississauga-based nursing home so that we could easily visit with her. It was truly a rare day when my grandmother didn’t have either my mother or me drop in on her. For those years, I can honestly say I pretty much visited her every day possible, often accompanying my mother.
My mom and I would visit during meal times—either lunch or dinner—just to make sure that my grandmother (a diabetic) was eating properly. We’d then help her up to her room, she’d turn on her TV, we’d talk story a bit and then wave, “See you tomorrow.”
I got to know Erin Mills Lodge extremely well.
As it happened, sitting at my grandmother’s table was a 92-year old gentleman, a Scotsman. He was remarkable—just so special that I even wrote about him in a Toronto Star a “Have Your Say” commentary. I learned tons from him about being old.
One day when his eyes shone relating one of his trout fishing escapades, I asked him why he didn’t go fishing just one more time. He smiled a smile of resignation and said:
“There is a first time and a last time for everything.”
Fairly obvious, yes? But I tell you that his words drove deep and live inside me each day.
When I’m SCUBA diving and all about me are sea turtles, I know there is a first time I saw them and there will be a last. There was a first time I set eyes on my parents, there’ll be a last…
“There is a first time and a last time for everything.”
This gentleman had lived at Erin Mills Lodge in his own room for several years. As you might imagine, he’d made close friends and had a support system. I was great on “support” because every Friday, I’d bring him a shot of The Glenlivet that I poured into a tiny bottle.
Then one day, his family decided to move him to a less expensive place (apparently being almost blind meant they felt that he just wasn’t capitalizing on the amenities the Lodge offered.) His best friend at the Lodge asked what I would do and I told her that I’d visit him at the new place.
As a result I also got to know Sheridan Villa on Truscott Drive—but only for a few months. One day I got a phone call from his son that he’d fallen and broken his hip. Essentially blind, he’d tripped over something that was left on the floor by his roomate. My cherished friend died three days later.
Growing Old Isn’t for Sissies
In Friday’s Blog I wrote:
My next Blog will be a deputation made by residents of Peel Long-Term Care facilities presented to Peel Regional Council back in June and I needed to steel myself —so very sad…
In preparation for today’s Blog, I went to Reports on Long-Term Care Homes to check up on data for Peel’s five nursing homes, of which Sheridan Villa is one.
But I also called up reports on Erin Mills Lodge just to compare the results.
Allow me:
SHERIDAN VILLA [M572]
2460 TRUSCOTT DRIVE MISSISSAUGA L5J3Z8Reporting Period : April 1, 2007 to Mach 31, 2008
Type of Operator Municipal
Home Structure Home with approximately 236 bedsDate of Last Inspection November 15, 2007
Total no. of Unmet Standards and Criteria 3
Total no. of Citations under Legislation 0
Total no. of Verified Complaints 0
See that heading “Total no. of Verified Complaints”? Being an expert in MISSISSAUGASPEAK, I know “Verified Complaints” is one of those “appropriate” phrases Mississauga would use. Some might call “Verified Complaints” a weasel term but please, let’s not insult weasels.
So how does the Ontario Ministry of Health define “Verified Complaints”?
Verified Complaint
A verified complaint is a complaint reported to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) that has resulted in an unmet standard/criteria being issued during the course of a complaint investigation. A complaint could lead to one or more verified complaints.
What this means is that an Ontario nursing home could have 80-kabillion complaints but so long at the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care doesn’t mark them as “an unmet standard/criteria being issued” the nursing home would be assigned “0″ complaints! (Zero is exactly how many “Verified Complaints” —or any other complaints— Mississauga Corporate Security has logged since Mississauga came-to-be in 1974! But I digress.)
Just for fun, I checked out the total number of “Verified Complaints” at all five Peel-run nursing homes.
Here you go:
MALTON VILLAGE LONG TERM CARE CENTRE Date of Last Inspection February 5, 2008
Total no. of Verified Complaints 1
SHERIDAN VILLA Reporting Period : April 1, 2007 to Mach 31, 2008
Total no. of Verified Complaints 0
TALL PINES LONG TERM CARE CENTRE Date of Last Inspection November 6, 2007
Total no. of Verified Complaints 0
VERA M. DAVIS COMMUNITY CARE CENTRE Date of Last Inspection October 29, 2007
Total no. of Verified Complaints 0
PEEL MANOR Date of Last Inspection December 5, 2007
Total no. of Verified Complaints 0
Now just to give you a feel for “Verified Complaints”, check out the Jul 03, 2008 Toronto Star article, “All Brampton nursing homes cited” which states:
Tullamore nursing home in Brampton was cited for restraining 16 residents incorrectly, including one who had slid down in her wheelchair with the seatbelt choking her.
Standards are set out for everything from what temperature food must be served at to ensuring residents don’t spend hours in soiled diapers and aren’t restrained unnecessarily.
Long-term care homes argue these inspection reports are simply a snapshot and don’t reflect what the home has done to improve the situation. Homes that are cited for a violation during an annual inspection have to present an improvement plan to the ministry and are often subjected to follow-up visits.
David Cutler, CEO of Leisureworld Inc. which owns Tullamore in Brampton, said the chain just acquired the home in January and is making numerous improvements on the issues identified by inspectors.
So what does the Ministry of Health data say on the privately-owned Tullamore-Brampton?
LEISUREWORLD CAREGIVING CTR-TULLAMORE Date of Last Inspection May 28, 2007
Total no. of Verified Complaints 0
Get this. I just summarized the inspection reports from seven local nursing homes—the five operated by Region of Peel and two by the private sector. Together, that’s 1,138 beds.
1,138 beds and just ONE (1) “Verified Complaint” 0.00087… (gee my calculator has trouble turning that into a percent!) 0.09% or 0% “Verified Complaints”!
And in the Torstar article, “Almost all of Mississauga homes cited” it says this about nursing homes in the Mississauga area:
The Mississauga-Halton region – which takes in Halton Hills, Oakville and Milton – has some of the fewest long-term care homes in the province. But the region’s homes had the third-highest percentage of infractions in the province.
(Seems there’s another long wait-list in Peel for “housing” besides affordable housing…)
In the Torstar article, “All Brampton nursing homes cited” we get this:
The central-west region – which also includes the communities of Malton, Orangeville and Shelbourne – had the largest percentage of long-term care homes with violations in the province.
You are now ready to watch a presentation given to Peel Regional Council on June 19, 2008 by resident-reps of Malton Village Long Term Care Centre, Sheridan Villa the Vera M. Davis Community Care Centre and Peel Manor. (The rep from Tall Pines couldn’t make it.)
PEEL REGIONAL COUNCIL Resident presentation on PEEL’S NURSING HOMES June 19, 2008 (14 min)
(Click here to go directly to the clip on Google Video)
Signed,
The (This Blog is dedicated to my 92 year old friend. I still have that tiny bottle that I used to bring to Erin Mills Lodge as my reminder of him) Mississauga Muse
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care of the Province of Ontario Reports on Long-Term Care Homes
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3 Responses to “Peel Nursing Homes (five municipal, two private) -Snapshot “complaints” data ATTN: BOOMERS”
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Have you every heard anything bad about Village of Erin Meadows?
Hi there Neela,
Thanks for your question. No, haven’t heard anything bad.
Truth is I never even heard of the place until you mentioned it. Just GOOGLEd “village of erin meadows complaints” and nothing surfaced.
Before you settle in on a place for your parents, I suggest you do your homework first (visit at various times during a two-week period). And yes, I know that takes time many people don’t have.
Just this tip from someone who’s had at least one experience with a retirement/nursing home. I don’t care how good the place reads on the books, be skeptical. Remember, anyone can write a brochure and make claims.
And regardless you still need to visit your mom/dad daily. Sure a retirement home can replace the cleaning, assistance and support you are providing, but they can’t replace you.
Hope that helps and best wishes.
This is an unfortunate story. Im sorry to hear that something like this happened.