Low staff vaccine rates at some of Hamilton’s high-risk seniors’ homes
The Hamilton long-term-care home with the lowest number of vaccinated staff was the site of the city's first COVID-19 outbreak and deaths.
Only 27 per cent of staff at both Heritage Green Nursing Home and its corresponding retirement home in Stoney Creek were immunized as of March 8. Vaccination rates at certain homes were released by the city for the first time.
In total, eight long-term care (LTC) and high-risk retirement homes had rates for staff below 50 per cent.
For LTC it included, Pine Villa Care Centre in Stoney Creek at 36 per cent and Alexander Place in Waterdown, which was also home to a deadly COVID outbreak, at 37 per cent.
For high-risk retirement homes, the lowest was Highgate in Ancaster where only one per cent of staff are vaccinated. Also below 50 per cent were Chartwell Deerview Crossing on the west Mountain at 41 per cent and New Village Retirement Residence in Stoney Creek at 42 per cent. In addition, just 50 per cent are vaccinated at the Village of Wentworth Heights, which has had a deadly COVID outbreak.
Overall, just over two-thirds of LTC home staff and just over half of high-risk retirement home staff are vaccinated.
It's not clear why so many seniors' home staff remain unprotected in the city or why there is so much variation from home to home.
Clarion in Stoney Creek has 100 per cent of its staff vaccinated. At the site of Hamilton's biggest and deadliest outbreak at Grace Villa on the east Mountain, 86 per cent immunized. Other sites of large and deadly outbreaks have high numbers, including St. Joseph's Villa in Dundas at 97 per cent and Chartwell Willowgrove in Ancaster at 80 per cent.
For retirement homes, Amica Dundas is at 83 per cent and Amica Stoney Creek at 80 per cent.
Staff are in stark contrast to residents, who have a high uptake with 96 per cent vaccinated for LTC and 97 per cent for high-risk retirement homes.
At Heritage Green, nearly 94 per cent of residents are vaccinated at the home, which saw four die in the city's first outbreak from March 21 to April 27.
All of Hamilton's LTC homes have more than 90 per cent of residents vaccinated. Pine Villa has all of its residents immunized. High-risk retirement homes with 100 per cent of residents vaccinated include Highgate, New Village and Seasons in Stoney Creek.
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com