Licences revoked for six more Martino care homes

Ontario's governing body for retirement homes is revoking the licences of six care homes owned by the Martino families.

The Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) announced Tuesday morning that four of the Martinos' homes in Hamilton, one in Brantford and another in Niagara Falls will cease to be licensed as of June 1, 2021.

The six-month delay for the revocations to take effect will allow for an orderly transition if the homes are either sold or cease to operate as a retirement home, according to the RHRA. The delay will also help provide some housing certainty for residents during the challenging circumstances created by the pandemic," the RHRA added in a statement.

The licence revocations apply to Cathmar Manor on Catharine Street North, Dundas Retirement Place on Main Street, Northview Seniors Residence on Aikman Avenue, Montgomery Retirement Home on Main Street East, Sheridan Lodge in Brantford and Greycliff Manor in Niagara Falls.

The latest move by the RHRA leaves the Martinos' chain of 11 care homes in tatters.

In addition to the six pending licence revocations, the Martinos' Rosslyn Retirement Home had its licence revoked by the RHRA in June following a COVID-19 outbreak in May that killed 16 and sent more than 60 to hospital. The Martinos are appealing the revocation order.

Emerald Lodge, another Martino property, is in receivership and was evacuated in October, and Edgemount Manor has been closed since 2019 following a fire.

The only Martino properties unaffected by licence revocations or closure are Victoria Manor I and II, which are residential care facilities on Victoria Avenue South with beds subsidized by the city.

Brothers Aldo Martino and the late John Martino previously owned the Royal Crest Lifecare chain of care homes until it collapsed into bankruptcy in 2003, leaving Ontario taxpayers on the hook for $18 million.

After careful consideration, the RHRA stated, the licensees of these homes no longer meet the criteria to be licenced retirement home operators."

The safety and wellbeing of retirement home residents is at the heart of everything we do," said Kathryn Chopp, spokesperson for the RHRA. Every retirement home resident in Ontario deserves to live in dignity and safety, and it is RHRA's job to ensure that homes follow the rules and meet the criteria for licensing.

Any home that cannot demonstrate that they can reliably provide or facilitate care for residents will not be allowed to hold a licence, and these homes are an example of that," Chopp added.

The Martinos were notified on Nov. 3 of the RHRA's intent to revoke the licences and then given an opportunity to respond to the RHRA.

The Martinos can appeal the revocation orders and they may also apply for a stay of the orders.

In the past year, the RHRA has recorded more than 120 violations of the Retirement Homes Act against five of the Martinos' homes, including 35 violations at Cathmar Manor and 65 at Greycliff in Niagara Falls.

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.

The Spectator has reported a number of accounts of disturbing conditions at some of the Martinos' Hamilton homes in the past six months, including:

• Allegations at the Rosslyn of chronic bedbug infestations, pest control problems in the food areas, understaffing, and that dementia patients would wander away from the home unchecked;

• Allegations at Cathmar Manor of chronic bedbug and cockroach infestations, food and nutrition deficiencies, and lack of proper COVID-19 protocols;

• Allegations at Emerald Lodge of a lack of functioning washrooms, more than a dozen broken windows, a lack of proper COVID-19 protocols, and that a resident was found tied to a radiator.

According to the terms of the revocation orders, prior to June 1 the Martinos must either sell the home to a buyer who will own or control the business of operating the home as a retirement home, or cease operating the home as a retirement home."

If the Martinos sell one or more of the homes, they must provide the RHRA with the identity of the potential purchaser and then maintain ownership and operation of the home until the RHRA indicates the potential new owner is approved to hold a licence.

If the Martinos decide to cease operating a home, they must provide a transition plan and a notice to residents 120 days prior to the end of operations.

The Martinos have previously indicated that they are attempting to arrange a bulk sale of their properties.

On Nov. 3, Cathmar Manor and Greycliff Manor were ordered to immediately retain managers approved by the RHRA's registrar to oversee all operations of the facilities and those orders remain in place until the licence revocations take effect.

The six homes now facing revocation must also continue to provide the RHRA with detailed statements of revenues and expenditures, including all expenses related to mortgages, utilities, staffing, maintenance and pest control, all revenues including rent from residents and revenue from residents for the provision of care services, and any missed payments to staff, contractors, or vendors.

The RHRA will continue to closely monitor the homes in cooperation with community partners to ensure residents are receiving the care they need," Chopp said.

The city subsidizes some beds at Cathmar Manor and Northview Seniors Residence. If those homes close once the licence revocations take effect, the city will have to find alternate accommodations for the subsidized residents.

The same issue arose when Emerald Lodge was evacuated on Oct. 23. Most of the residents were re-housed with the assistance of the Good Shepherd Centres.

Steve Buist is a Hamilton-based investigative reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbuist@thespec.com