Half of the staff at one Hamilton senior home are unvaccinated
Only half of the staff at one Hamilton retirement home are vaccinated despite working with vulnerable residents.
In newly released data from the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, three local senior homes reported staff vaccination rates in the 50 per cent range. When asked to comment, two said their rates have since gone up. But one did not.
All licensed retirement homes had to implement a vaccination policy for staff, contractors, volunteers and students by Sept. 21. But unlike Ontario's policy for long-term-care homes, which require staff that will work inside the homes to be vaccinated by Dec. 13 (or have an approved medical exemption), vaccination isn't mandatory for retirement home workers.
Instead, staff can complete an educational session on COVID-19 vaccines and continue to work unvaccinated - though individual homes can choose to eliminate that option. Unvaccinated staff, including those with a valid exemption, must take a regular antigen test one to three times per week, says the Retirement Home Regulatory Authority (RHRA).
Residence on Catharine, Valley Town Residence and St. Elizabeth Retirement Residence all had vaccination rates in the 50s, per the ministry. The first two said they're now near 100 per cent.
St. Elizabeth Retirement Residence on the southwest Mountain, however, had 52 per cent of its staff vaccinated as of Oct. 29.
We have tried really hard to get all our staff vaccinated," co-owner Rizwan Gehlen said in an email.
He blamed the low rate on a large number of staff - 19 - who are on leave and for whom the home can't verify vaccination.
We treat them all as unvaccinated without that proof of vaccination," Gehlen said, adding 33 of 43 staff actively working had their shots at the end of October, as well as the home's senior leaders. The RHRA says it only asks to count staff who will return to work within the next three months.
New St. Elizabeth hires must be vaccinated, Gehlen said, however, there's no mechanism for us to compel existing staff to get their vaccines."
He said the home offered incentives for vaccination, including gift cards, prize draws and educational videos on the benefits of the shot. The home promoted the vaccine in weekly staff huddles, and by sharing FAQs and clinic information, as well as helping staff book appointments and offering on-site clinics.
As a regulated health-care setting we are fully in support of the use of vaccines," Gehlen said.
The data also showed two former Martino homes with rates in the 50s. Residence on Catharine (formerly Cathmar Manor) in the lower city, had only 50 per cent of staff vaccinated as of Sept. 30. Valley Town Residence (formerly Dundas Retirement Place) had a 58 per cent rate.
However, the vice-president of operations of LP Management Inc., which took over the homes, said Tuesday that Residence on Catharine has 100 per cent staff vaccinated after the last worker got their second dose last week. At Valley Town Residence, the rate is 83 per cent, Yvonne Dobronyi said, noting the last two staff agreed to get their first shots this week and those remaining are agency staff.
Dobronyi said the homes have a training module on vaccination for all workers, even agency staff. Those who refused the shot had to sign that they took responsibility for not being immunized."
She expect shots to become mandatory in retirement homes, just like in long-term care.
What happens in long-term care is mirrored in retirement homes," Dobronyi said.
Maria Iqbal is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator covering aging. Reach her via email: miqbal@thespec.com