Grieving daughter begs Ontario to mandate vaccines for long-term care staff after vaccinated mother dies
Kim Beaver says that as she sat outside the room where her mother died at a long-term care facility in Oshawa, Ont., she could hear the haunting sounds down the hall of other seniors, sick with COVID-19, wheezing and struggling to breathe.
She said her beloved mother, Gail Candusso, an 82-year-old woman “with a heart of gold,” was the first person to die at Hillsdale Estates, a 300-bed long-term care home in Oshawa. After her death on Sept. 5, seven other residents at the home died too with the last one reported just over a week ago.
While the fourth wave of the deadly pandemic continues to plunder on, Beaver is urgently calling for a province-wide vaccine mandate for all long-term care workers. She says she doesn’t wish her experience on anyone.
“I challenge anyone to go sit in that hall full of COVID patients, and listen to the sounds that are coming out of those people, it's horrendous,” she said, her voice shaking. “I sat in my mum’s doorway and the gentleman across the hall was having dinner in his doorway, and two days later he was dead. He died right after my mom.”
“It is just terrible. If you're working with vulnerable people, and you're not willing to protect them, I think you're in the wrong profession.”
The first case at Hillsdale Estates was a staff member in late August, but Durham Region, which operates the home, said that due to privacy concerns, it could not confirm reports that the worker was only partially vaccinated. After weeks of battling the deadly outbreak, the home currently has no resident cases and one staff case.
For several weeks now, health-care experts, advocates and family members have been calling on the Ontario government to implement a mandatory vaccine policy for people working in long-term care, but the government has not yet made the move.
Since Sept. 7, the province has required hospitals and long-term care home operators to develop their own vaccine policy. Some have mandated vaccines for workers, while others, like Hillsdale Estates, chose to offer regular antigen tests instead – a policy the municipally owned home is now changing after eight deaths.
Durham Region told CTV News Toronto recently that it changed its tune on Sept. 20, and that it’s now implementing a region-wide vaccination policy for its employees, including those at Hillsdale Estate. All staff will be required to disclose their vaccination status by Oct. 20 and provide proof of full vaccination status by Dec. 20.
Across Ontario, there are currently 17 long-term care homes battling an outbreak. According to provincial data, there are 55 active resident cases and 38 active staff cases in these homes. One resident died in the last 24 hours. Despite the outbreaks and deaths, the provincial government said it’s still mulling over whether or not to implement a province-wide policy.
Without a provincial vaccine mandate, many workers in these homes may not have been vaccinated against the disease. Beaver said many workers in long-term care are very dedicated and loving to the residents, but she can’t understand why some would choose to put people at risk by not getting their vaccine.
“If you're not going to get vaccinated, you should not be working in long term care,” she said. “It is your choice because they're too vulnerable, and they can't fight it.”
“I just think we have to start thinking about each other and caring about each other, and hopefully no more seniors will die.”
Beaver said her mother, who was vaccinated, had no ailments other than Parkinson’s Disease. She spent several months unable to leave the home due to strict lockdown measures, but once measures lifted, she was able to see her family again and go out.
“She had six grandchildren, six great grandchildren and unfortunately, three of the great grandchildren were born during COVID. I think she got to hold the newest one once before she died,” Beaver said.
“That was hard for her because she was a lover of babies and dogs so she really wanted to see the great grandchildren.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.