'Please come forward,' women urge families of alleged abuse victims at Winnipeg care home
Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont seeks immediate review of Oakview Place operating licence
Relatives of seniors allegedly abused at a Winnipeg care home are urging other families — and staff members — to report anything they have seen or heard.
"If anyone knows any information about what's happened to my mom or to any of the other residents who are alleged victims, please come forward. Let somebody know what's going on," said Gail Johnson, whose 91-year-old mother has been a resident at Extendicare Oakview Place for two years.
She was joined at a news conference Tuesday morning by Dianna Klassen, whose late father is one of 15 Oakview Place residents who, it was revealed in June, were allegedly abused by two aides at the privately owned care home in Winnipeg's Sturgeon Heights neighbourhood.
Klassen noted her father, 92, died in January "so this has clearly been going on for some time."
The allegations were first brought to attention of Extendicare management through a whistleblower in February, according to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. However, the WRHA was not informed and nothing was done until another whistleblower went directly to the health authority in June.
The WRHA then alerted police and notified family members. Two health-care aides have since been put on paid leave while the WRHA, police and protection for persons in care office (PPCO) of Manitoba Health investigate.
Johnson is angry Extendicare didn't launch an immediate review in February, when the first whistleblower stepped up. It took 11 days after the second whistleblower before families were notified, she said.
"If it wasn't for them coming forward we would never have known what happened," she said.
Even now, families have little information about what exactly happened, Klassen says.
"You ask and you don't get answers. It's just been extremely difficult," she said.
"These are our elders. They are the people that raised us, that loved us and who have supported us, and we were there trying to support them only to find out after the fact they were suffering horrific abuse. It's incredibly sad to me."
In an emailed statement, a provincial spokesperson said since the allegations had been reported to the WRHA, the health authority has ensured the processes already in place to protect seniors were followed.
Those processes include conducting unannounced visits and speaking with staff and residents, the spokesperson said.
Staff being retrained, some replaced
In an email to CBC News, Extendicare says it has taken action on several matters while it awaits the investigation's results, including appointing a new administrator and new regional director for Manitoba.
As well, staff are being retrained on the zero tolerance policies for abuse and neglect.
"We are required to take these actions when such allegations are made. It is completely unacceptable that this did not take place [and] for that, we unreservedly apologize to the residents, their families and to the WRHA," Sandra Goers, Extendicare's new Manitoba regional director, wrote in the email.
"Fortunately, a number of our staff stepped up and did the right thing by reporting these allegations to the WRHA when they saw that policy was not followed. We are very grateful to them."
Klassen's father, who lived at the home for four years, was in a wheelchair and unable to feed himself, never mind defend himself, "and he was taken advantage of."
His personality changed, Klassen says, but at the time she wrote it off as part of the aging process. In retrospect, she says, she realizes he was recoiling.
Once an easygoing man who was polite to staff and used to thank them, he became aggressive and didn't want to be touched "It's just awful. I don't know how else to describe it," she said.
We are required to take these actions when such allegations are made. It is completely unacceptable that this did not take place [and] for that, we unreservedly apologize to the residents, their families and to the WRHA.Sandra Goers, Extendicare's new Manitoba regional director, wrote in the email.- Sandra Goers, Extendicare regional director, Manitoba
Johnson described the same behavioural changes in her mother. Both women also said their loved ones have benefitted from wonderful care as well, and don't want the incidents to tarnish all staff.
But those responsible have to be held accountable, as does Extendicare for its lack of action, Klassen says.
"It's just wrong and it needs to be corrected and whatever measures that need to be put into place — whether that's legislation — it just has to happen."
Since learning on the Father's Day weekend about the abused, six months after her dad's death, Klassen said "the last few weeks have been traumatic" and have extended her grieving process.
Review care home licence: Liberals
Standing alongside Johnson and Klassen on Tuesday outside of the Manitoba Legislative Building, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont called on the province to immediately review the licence at Oakview Place "and it has to be considered whether we have to take these homes over or not."
He also urged the province to implement whistleblower protection to ensure others are able to come forward with concerns without fearing reprisal.
Extendicare had admitted policies and protocols weren't followed but ultimately, when it comes to accountability, the Progressive Conservative government is responsible because it regulates and oversees care homes, Lamont said.
"And they haven't been doing that," he said, citing a lack of staffing, funding and oversight, which have combined to create "a culture of neglect" at care homes in Manitoba.
"We expect the government to invite people to come forward with what they know, and provide them with assurances they won't face retaliation or blacklisting for having the courage to call out wrongdoing," Lamont said
Lamont used Tuesday's news conference to call, once again, for the creation of a non-partisan seniors' advocate.
It would be an independent office where complaints could be filed and looked into by "someone who doesn't have to cover their own backside," he said, noting his party has been requesting its creation since 2016.
The provincial spokesperson did not provide a response when asked about the potential creation of an office to review a care home's licence,
However, the spokesperson said the government is committed to full co-operation with all investigations related to the abuse allegations, and that the province's work to develop a new seniors' strategy continues.
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With files from Alana Cole