The closure of yet another Ontario nursing home brings the number of long-term-care beds lost in the province over the last three years to more than 800, according to a Star analysis.
Parkview Manor, a 34-bed long-term-care home in Chesley, Ont., near Owen Sound, has informed residents that it is shutting down at the end of the year because of challenges meeting a fire code change requiring sprinkler systems to be installed by Jan. 1, 2025.
In a letter to residents and their families, private owner Southbridge Care Homes says it will work with the provincial government to “help transition our residents to an alternate care arrangement that suits their individual needs and preferences.”
“Please be assured that residents and families will be fully supported throughout this transition,” reads the letter, sent last month, and obtained by the Star.
Parkview Manor is the ninth Ontario long-term-care home in the last three years alone to announce its closure, bringing the number of nursing home beds that have been lost provincewide in that time to 836, by the Star’s tally. Six of those homes are in the city of Toronto, with the remaining three in more rural communities.
The shutdown of Parkview Manor, and other homes, has become part of a trend in which operators, unwilling or unable to pay for retrofits to meet modern fire code regulations or new provincial design standards, opt to close down. The new design standards include bedrooms that accommodate no more than two residents and the installation of at least one window providing an outdoor view in every bedroom.
The provincewide wait-list for a nursing-home bed currently sits at more than 45,000.
In an email to the Star, Alex Da Costa, Southbridge’s vice-president of development, said the decision to close Parkview Manor “was made after an extensive evaluation by a third-party to install fire sprinklers deemed it not feasible, due mainly to the century-old building’s age.”
He said more than half of the facility’s current 25 residents have found new accommodations and the company is prioritizing helping the remaining residents find new homes “as quickly as possible.”
“We regret any inconvenience this closure may cause, and have been available to residents and families to answer any questions and support them as they seek out new living situations,” said Da Costa, adding that the home would continue to take care of residents until alternative living arrangements can be made.
Eleven years ago, the Ontario Fire Code was amended to require all long-term-care homes to have automatic sprinkler systems installed by Jan. 1, 2025. The Ministry of the Solicitor General is proposing to extend the sprinkler installation deadline for certain long-term-care homes, including those that are in the process of closing, to July 1, 2026.
Despite this requirement being on the books for more than a decade, many homes failed to meet the standards, said Jane Meadus, a lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE) who represents seniors with issues related to long-term care.
“I really lay blame at the feet of the Ministry of Long-Term Care and the government — the Liberals and the Conservatives — who did nothing to ensure that these homes would comply,” she said. “Had they done their jobs during that time we might not be in the situation we are in today. They just let everybody kind of slide.”
While the provincial Liberals created the fire code amendment when they were in government, Daniel Strauss, a spokesperson for current Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, said they “did nothing to support Ontario’s long-term-care sector during their time in office to comply with it.”
Strauss said many capital improvements in the sector were delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic because of necessary restrictions to ensure resident safety. But following a return to standard operations, he said, the ministry conducted a comprehensive review of the province’s long-term-care sector to assess the status of homes.
“As a result, a direct investment of over $200 million was provided to homes to complete these pandemic-delayed capital improvements as quickly as possible, including the installation of sprinklers,” he said, adding that an “historic” investment of $6.4 billion in capital development has led to “three consecutive record-breaking years” in redevelopment of older homes and new construction.
Donna Duncan, CEO of the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA), which represents about 70 per cent of Ontario’s long-term-care facilities of all ownership types, said the majority of nursing homes in the province have met or would meet the criteria for additional sprinklers should an extension to the deadline be granted. But a number of smaller, older homes face “significant barriers” to achieving sprinkler upgrades, she said, due to issues that include asbestos in the walls and ceilings, structural challenges such as reliance on well water, insufficient water pressure, insufficient electrical capacity to run pumps, and insufficient generator capacity.
“These are challenges that require major renovations that may not be feasible in older buildings and require support from specialized contractors who are very limited in numbers, and require specialized equipment and materials that are currently restricted by challenges in the supply chain,” Duncan said, adding that none of the OLTCA’s member homes wants to close, and each “is committed to continuing to support their local communities where possible.”
