Security guards at doors of LTC homes ‘chilling,’ says NDP leader

Security guards can now decide who gets into Ontario long-term-care homes after the province earmarked $42-million in pandemic funding to hire them.

That's pretty chilling," said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath. What are the security guards there for? To keep designated caregivers out? They're certainly not going to keep COVID out."

City-run Macassa and Wentworth lodges are among the Hamilton homes considering it, along with Chartwell.

We have provided funding for long-term-care homes to allow for the hiring of security guards to conduct screening at long-term-care homes in order to ensure that front-line staff can remain focused on caring for residents," Krystle Caputo, spokesperson for Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton, said in a statement.

Ontario's nurses question why security guards instead of health-care workers would be funded.

It makes no sense to me to train security guards to conduct screening," said Vicki McKenna, president of the Ontario Nurses' Association. Surely there is a better use of new funding for our beleaguered long-term-care homes, such as more permanent, full-time staffing. Perhaps others such as nursing students or health-care-related students would be better able to fill this health gap."

The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE) alleges the security guards are to deal with irate family members."

People think it's already a prison, now they are going to put security guards on these doors," said Jane Meadus, staff lawyer at ACE. I think ... they are going to be much more aggressive."

It's not mandatory to hire security guards, but short-staffed homes are considering it so they can actively screen 24-7 - which involves asking questions, doing temperature checks and ensuring people have been tested. Right now Macassa and Wentworth only have screeners from 5:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.

Macassa Lodge and Wentworth Lodge are currently looking at the hiring of third-party security," the city said in a statement. We have reached out to the province for clarity."

Five Extendicare homes are already using a third-party service for screening - it's not clear if they're security guards.

Extendicare Hamilton continues to use its own staff on-site at this time," spokesperson Laura Gallant said in a statement. We will ... implement it at all homes that will benefit from this additional third-party support."

She said the company is extremely grateful ... to reinforce crucial capacity for screening efforts."

Screening is an important part of our efforts to keep the virus out of our homes and to keep homes open to essential caregivers," she said. However, oftentimes these screeners are internal home staff whose efforts could be focused on other needs in the homes. Third-party services can free up our care team staff to do what they do best."

Chartwell has three long-term care homes in Hamilton - Queen's Garden, Regina Gardens and Chartwell Willowgrove - as well as Chartwell Brant Centre in Burlington.

We appreciate the partnership of the government in supporting a safe environment," spokesperson Sharon Ranalli said in a statement.

The idea of security guards at the doors of long-term-care homes comes at the same time staff at Grace Villa sent letters to their local MPP detailing disturbing allegations about conditions inside Hamilton's largest and deadliest outbreak, including residents lying on bare mattresses soaked with urine, others waiting 30 minutes for help when choking, as well as allegations of preventable deaths from neglect.

People are irate because ... they're often told they're not allowed to go in," said Meadus. I think having security guards is going to cause a lot of problems ... Security guards are trained in a different manner than a screener. I think it is going to be a disaster."

Caputo says the province remains committed to doing everything we can ... to support homes during the global pandemic."

But Horwath says, If there's money available to hire security guards, that money should be going into the care of residents."

Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com