MONTREAL -- At least 38 people have tested positive for COVID-19 at a Montreal long-term care facility, leaving family members worried for their relatives' health.
Anne Leblanc's sister Madeleine is one of 250 residents of the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre. Madeleine, who has been a paraplegic since being hit by a drunk driver when she was six-years-old, shared a room with three other people, including a woman who tested positive for COVID-19, up until Thursday. That's when she learned the COVID-positive roommate would be quarantined elsewhere, a development Leblanc called a relief.
“They're supposed to have hot and cold zones, why aren't they taking her out?” said Leblanc. “She said they have nowhere to take her to.”
Leblanc said the outbreak is taking a toll on everyone at the centre, as staff don't have enough protective equipment and in some cases are being forced to work 16-hour days.
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“They're so overwhelmed that when they emptied her catheter bag of urine, they forgot to put the cap back on and there ended up being urine all over the floor and nobody noticed,” said Leblanc. “Then a worker came in and slipped.”
Grace Dart is just one of many Quebec long-term care facilities that have found themselves short on space, staff and other resources during the pandemic. A spokesperson for the facility said more prevention measures are being implemented in the next few days, including a red zone for COVID-positive residents.
In a statement, the regional health authority said they will be adding more protective equipment for employees, visiting all residents to assess their condition and putting in place ways to optimize communication with families and loved ones.
