Coronavirus ‘spread like wildfire’ at Georgina long-term care home

River Glen Haven has one of the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in York Region

Yorkregion.com
May 27, 2020
Amanda Persico

Georgina now has one of the highest numbers of coronavirus-related deaths at a long-term care facility in the region.

York Region Public Health declared a COVID-19 outbreak at River Glen Haven, a long-term care facility in Sutton, April 27.

As of May 25, 20 residents have died of COVID-19, marking the only COVID-19-related deaths in town.

The same day, the province announced a special mandatory management order whereby Southlake Regional Health Centre will temporarily mange River Glen Haven.

Despite receiving support from the hospital for weeks, the home has not been able to contain the outbreak and curb the spread of COVID-19.

But the order came too late for River Glen resident Mary Snow, 82, who died hours before the province’s mandate.

“She was fine last week,” said Snow’s niece and longtime Georgina resident, Lisa Snow.

The night before, Snow tested positive for COVID-19 -- she had a high fever and was delirious, Lisa said.

And like many long-term care facilities, River Glen was understaffed, PSWs exhausted and health-care workers overwhelmed.

“The staff are in an impossible situation,” Lisa said. “It was bad before this. Now, it’s horrible. The staff are excellent, but they are exhausted. Before, they had support from family. Now, they have to be family, friend, entertainment and caregiver.”

At the end of the day, instead of going home, many of those overwhelmed and exhausted health-care workers are sleeping at local hotels.

But the worst part is the blame and bashing the nurses and staff are enduring, said Carrie Brammer, a former health-care employee at River Glen.

Brammer, still in contact with a number of River Glen staff, has been watching the dire situation unfold without being able to help her former colleagues and friends.

“I’m dreading the call,” said the bronchial asthmatic. “Every day, they come in and take care of someone else’s family member, but they can’t go home to see their own children. This is heartbreaking.”

At the onset of the outbreak, 115 residents resided at River Glen, a facility built in the early 1980s with a number of floors, lockdown wards, and up to four residents to a room separated by a thin curtain.

That means gloves, gowns and masks are changed from one resident’s care to the next, with limited physical space between them.

And many blame the ward-style setup as cause of the rapid spread.

“When your neighbour is less than six-feet away and only separated by a hospital curtain, it will spread like wildfire,” Brammer said.

“(Residents) are just sitting there waiting to get it. These people have experienced so much and at the end of their life, this is what they get? This is not fair.”

River Glen is quickly outpacing other long-term care facilities in York Region for the number of positive COVID-19 cases and for the number of resident deaths.

To date, there are 104 confirmed COVID-19 cases at River Glen: 74 cases among residents, including 20 deaths; and 30 cases among health-care workers.

River Glen has one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases among its residents in York Region -- third only to Woodbridge Vista Care Community in Vaughan, with 75 positive cases, and Mackenzie Place LTC in Newmarket, with 80 cases.

“It must be phenomenally stressful for the residents living there,” Lisa said. “Just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

More than 80 per cent of the town’s positive COVID-19 cases were found in long-term care facilities, with River Glen home to the vast majority of cases.

There were outbreaks at Christian Horizons, Halsey Memorial Lodge, Kerry’s Place Autism Services and New Leaf Sycamore, which have all been deemed closed by public health.

Prior to the province stepping in and mandating Southlake take over management of the home, the hospital provided best infection prevention and control practices and effective PPE training, how to use it and when to discard it.

Under the province’s order, the hospital will assume management control of River Glen, with top priorities given to effectively managing the outbreak, ensuring residents receive high-quality care, providing frequent communication with residents and family members and achieving appropriate staffing levels.