General manager of Ontario retirement home charged after door handles removed from rooms during pandemic
The general manager of an Ontario retirement home is facing confinement charges after police say the door handles were removed from some residents’ rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) announced the charges on Wednesday.
On February 12, DRPS investigators said they began an investigation in response to a complaint that came forward against staff members at White Cliffe Terrace Retirement Home in Courtice, which is located just east of Oshawa.
It was alleged that staff members had removed door handles to some units in the residence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Durham police have arrested and charged 40-year-old Tawab Karimi, the former general manager of White Cliffe Terrace, with two counts of unlawful confinement.
He has been released on an undertaking.
In March, the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA), who said they became aware of the situation by means of a whistleblower, published the findings of a Feb. 4 inspection of the residence.
The RHRA said the inspection found the home "failed to comply with certain sections of the Retirement Homes Act related to protection against abuse and neglect of residents, as well as confinement."
In April, CP24 and CTV News Toronto obtained a copy of a letter from Verve Senior Living, the company that runs the home, informing families that "a small" number of door handles were removed.
"It was a violation of our protocols and practices. As soon as we became aware of the incident, all resident's door handles were immediately reinstalled," David Bird, president and CEO of Verve Senior Living, wrote in the letter dated Feb. 10.
DRPS are asking anyone with new information to the East Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1657.
Correction
A previous version of this article identified White Cliffe as a long-term-care home, rather than a retirement home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.