Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuits Arising Due to COVID-19
A number of lawsuits have arisen that call into question how nursing homes have been handling the pandemic and protecting their residents. We are in unprecedented times that are putting more pressure on the facilities but it does not give a pass to care homes to neglect the needs of the elderly that depend on them.
A Toronto-based law firm has filed a $50-million class action lawsuit against Revera Inc. on behalf of two families over the company\’s response to coronavirus. In Quebec, the son of a 94-year-old woman who died of COVID-19 at one of the province\’s hardest-hit facilities has filed a class-action application against the government-run CHSLD Ste-Dorothee. Jean-Pierre Daubois is alleging the Montreal-area long-term care home acted negligently by forcing two employees with COVID-19 symptoms to remain at work, by improperly isolating residents, and by failing to provide protective equipment to employees.
Forest Heights Long-Term Care facility in Kitchener is also owned by Revera which is 100% owned by the federal government. The food is unappetizing and the facility smells. Recently it has had 45 covid-related deaths. There is room for improvement and it is a shame the federal government has not cleaned up its act. Law suits can help raise standards and quality of care, making life better for all residents.
Another claim, which has not yet been certified as a class action lawsuit by a judge, involves six long-term care facilities, including the Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, Vermont Square in The Annex, and Hawthorne Place Care Centre in North York, which are all operated by Responsive Group Inc. or one of its subsidiary entities. It alleges that the homes did not adequately plan for the virus, did not supply staff and visitors with sufficient personal protective equipment, did not appropriately screen visitors and staff, and did not follow the leadership of public health officials and comply with their guidance and directives.
In addition, a legal battle was recently won by the Ontario Nurses’ Association to force four long-term care homes (some of which are named in the above lawsuit) to immediately fix alleged safety issues for health-care workers where adequate PPE was not being provided.
These lawsuits are bringing to light the significant gaps in the care system which, when put under pressure, cause unnecessary death and hardship to our most vulnerable. Our system needs immediate improvement to rectify these downfalls and ensure the safety of our elderly population in care homes during this pandemic and in the future.
For any concerns about nursing home negligence, care or if you feel you or your loved ones have experienced neglect, abuse or negligence at the hands of a care facility please contact our experienced lawyers at Hilborn and Konduros in Cambridge. We will stand up for your rights and get you the justice you are entitled to.
