More than 120 violations in a year, yet Martinos’ retirement homes still allowed to operate
A new batch of inspection reports made public this week by the governing body for Ontario's retirement homes shows an alarming increase in the number of violations cited against facilities owned and operated by the Martino families.
More than 50 new violations were reported by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) against five of the families' homes in Hamilton, Niagara Falls and Brantford, including 22 new violations at Cathmar Manor, near Hamilton's downtown.
The new violations are for a wide range of problems at the homes - pest control, infection prevention and control, drug administration, medication records, maintenance, and safety standards, among others.
In some cases, the violations were handed out because the homes were found to be still in violation of multiple orders to comply that had already been handed down by the RHRA months earlier.
In the past year, the RHRA has recorded more than 120 violations of the Retirement Homes Act against five homes owned by the Martino families, who were previously responsible for the largest nursing home bankruptcy in Ontario when the Royal Crest Lifecare chain collapsed in 2003.
Over and over, the RHRA's response in the reports to the violations found in the Martinos' homes is the same: The Licensee has advised it has taken corrective action to achieve compliance. RHRA to confirm compliance by inspection."
And yet the problems continue to pile up.
The sheer breadth, depth and repetition of problems uncovered at the Martinos' homes raises a couple of serious questions for the RHRA. Why are the homes still allowed to operate? And what steps are being taken by the RHRA to protect the residents of these homes?
Revoking a home's licence is a serious matter and a decision that the RHRA does not take lightly," said Kathryn Chopp, spokesperson for the RHRA. We recognize the significant impact revocation may have on the vulnerable seniors who rely on the home to provide them with shelter and care.
The RHRA's primary concern is the safety and well-being of residents in Ontario retirement homes," Chopp stated. It's crucial that if residents or their loved ones have concerns about a retirement home that they contact us to let us know so we can take action."
The RHRA is responsible for administering the province's Retirement Homes Act and has the power to impose a range of sanctions on non-compliant operators, from monetary penalties to revoking a home's licence.
The RHRA has already revoked the Martinos' licence to operate the Rosslyn Retirement Home after a horrific COVID-19 outbreak in May left 16 people dead and sent more than 60 residents to hospital. The Martinos are appealing the licence revocation and a hearing on the matter has been postponed until some time next year.
Yet Cathmar Manor remains open despite 35 violations in the past year. An inspection report made public this week shows Cathmar is still not complying with orders made by the RHRA registrar on Mar. 5 for pest control issues and an order from May 22 for a lack of COVID-related infection prevention and control.
The situation is even more dire at the Martinos' Greycliff Manor in Niagara Falls, where there have been 65 violations cited in the past year, including 23 this week. Greycliff was found to still be violating an order issued Apr. 24 for pest control, drug administration and behaviour management, and another order on May 22 for COVID-related infection control.
Three new violations were also reported at the Martinos' Dundas Retirement Place, one at Montgomery Retirement Home, and three at Brantford's Sheridan Lodge.
The RHRA has been closely monitoring Cathmar Manor, Dundas Retirement Place, Montgomery Retirement Home and Greycliff Manor," Chopp stated. This includes conducting unannounced inspections, as well as direct outreach to the operators of these homes on a biweekly basis, and in some cases more frequently, to ensure our concerns are being addressed.
If the RHRA discovers evidence of immediate harm or risk of harm to residents, we will not hesitate to take action, in collaboration with our community partners including local public health units, city officials, local fire services, and other regulatory agencies," she added.
In June, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath called for the RHRA to be dismantled and for oversight of the retirement home industry to move back within the government.
The whole thing needs to be upended and we need to have a true regulatory regime that has teeth," Horwath said at the time in an interview with The Spectator. You can't have the same bad actors get a slap on the wrist over and over and over again."
In addition to the Rosslyn, two other Martino care homes in Hamilton are now closed.
Emerald Lodge was placed in receivership on Sept. 25 and evacuated Oct. 23. Edgemount Manor has been closed since Sept. 2019 because of a fire and had its licence suspended in June. Both homes are governed by the city.
All nine of the Martino-related retirement homes and residential care facilities in Hamilton are either now subject to orders to comply by public health or the RHRA, had their licences to operate revoked or suspended, or have been cited for rules violations this year.
Steve Buist is a Hamilton-based investigative reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbuist@thespec.com