MONTREAL -- The Villa Val des Arbes long-term care facility’s owner likens the current situation at the home to a hospital in a time of war. Roughly 75 seniors have been infected with COVID-19 in the facility of around 120 residents.
The owner is hoping to get dozens of volunteers to help, and about 20 people are already being trained.
“We have 72 people that I would like to save,” said Pierre Belanger of the CHSLD Villa Val des Arbres. “Even if they have a life expectancy of three to nine months, I’d like to save them to give them these months.”
The facility has already received help in the form of 14 Canadian Armed Forces personnel, who arrived Monday.
The residence’s parent company, Mandala Health, is hoping for more help, as staff levels have dwindled in recent weeks. Mandala lost over 100 workers, many isolating and many scared to report to work and get infected.
Mandala Health is training volunteers over three days, and telling those who want to help to reach out on its website.
The government of Quebec is also asking the population at large that wish to help at CSHLDs to go online through jebenevole.ca and sign up to volunteer.
CHSLDs are the site of about two-thirds of coronavirus-related deaths. The numbers released today show 657 CHSLD patients have died.
