A London nursing home is among three Ontario long term care facilities that have been ordered to stop admitting new residents because of several infractions that include overlooking abuse.
Earls Court Village on Highbury Ave. was ordered Tuesday by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to stop taking in new residents until further notice.
"The ceasing of admissions has been directed based on my belief that there is a risk of harm to the health or well-being of residents of the home or persons who might be admitted as residents," Karen Simpson, the head of the long-term care inspections branch said in a letter issued to the home.
An inspection of the 128-bed facility in August raised several red flags and ultimately led to the stop admission order. In total, inspectors responding to complaints found 15 violations at the home.
In one case, a registered nurse did not properly report abuse by one resident against another resident. The abuse was witnessed by a personal support worker who, upon notifying the nurse, was told "that this behaviour was totally fine." A second and third allegation of abuse, one reported by a resident's family and another reported by a third resident, were not investigated by the home.
The report, compiled by inspectors, showed staff were hired at the home and working with residents before criminal background checks were completed by police. The home had received a previous warning about this practice in March 2015.
A Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), who had only four hours orientation, was allowed to use the login of another nurse to issue medications to residents. The RPN made two medication errors during that time which were then logged under the other nurse's name.
Under-staffing at the home led to one resident, who waited up to 36 minutes to be helped to the washroom, soiling their pants. Another resident waited an hour on multiple occasions to be fed. A third resident was only taken to the washroom twice a day and expressed anger and embarrassment about being left in urine soaked clothes. One of the employees told inspectors a lack of staffing meant daily tasks like toileting, positioning, restraint safety checks, and assisting residents to bed on time were not completed.
The cart used to store medication was also found on several occations to be unlocked and unattended in a hallway of the home.
The home can appeal the ministry order barring them from new admissions.
Similar orders were also issued Tuesday to Tyndall Nursing Home in Mississauga and Caressant Care Fergus in Wellington County.
Earls Court Village and Tyndall Nursing Home are both operated by the Sharon Village Care Homes chain.