As a nursing home in Norwich, Ont., closes in the next two weeks, residents and their families are scrambling to find new accommodation and care amid long waiting lists and high costs.
In an email sent to families Friday, Trillium Care Norwich said it would close permanently on Nov. 11 due to a lack of funding, calling the development “urgent and unexpected.”
“Due to an urgent lack of the necessary financial resources to maintain day-to-day operations, we must close this facility,” the memo said. “This decision was not taken lightly and every effort was made to prevent this outcome.”
No one from Trillium was immediately available for comment Sunday.
Miranda Guittard, whose husband’s elderly grandmother lives in the facility, said the short notice is causing anxiety for the family, who is looking for another nursing home nearby for their loved one.
“We don’t know what these families are going to do. There’s a lot of places out there, but they’re full and there’s a lot of waiting lists, and you can’t just send people somewhere else. That’s not going to work,” Guittard said. Said.
“My deepest condolences to everyone involved. Through my experience, as a family member, I now understand how difficult it is to place another family member into retirement or long-term care. .”
In an email to families, Trillium said it understands the impact of this decision and supports the transition. The nursing home encouraged families to contact Ontario Health at Home, which can help with referrals and also lists nearby housing.
Nursing home investigated on suspicion of fraud
The privately-owned facility was also at the center of a fraud investigation by Ontario Provincial Police in Oxford County in August, resulting in multiple victims losing an estimated $50,000. Guittard said his grandmother-in-law was among the victims.
After the fraud was uncovered, the facility requested that the grandmother-in-law’s rent be increased from $1,500 to $3,920 a month, claiming it had not received the money sent by the family, Guittard said. He added that he firmly refuses to increase fees. she.
Guittard said the closure will not have a huge impact on her family, as her 90-year-old grandmother-in-law has been deemed incapacitated due to dementia and is already in the process of being placed in a long-term care facility. spoke. Just like everyone else.
Trillium Care Norwich was at the center of a fraud investigation in August that cost multiple residents an estimated $50,000, according to state police. (Trillium Care Norwich/Facebook)
Despite this, Guittard has also struggled to find a facility, applying to more than 36 different locations, including some further away from where his family lives in Oxford County.
“Our health care system is overwhelmed, and people who don’t qualify for long-term care are not going to get it as easily as some of us, given the circumstances. ”
Trillium also said the Nursing Home Regulatory Authority (RHRA) may also have an emergency fund available to help families financially.
Guittard said RHRA officials told her yesterday that Trillium residents are eligible for up to $3,500 in emergency funds to help with relocation, temporary resting place or moving costs. .
“It’s nice to know that it’s available to families and residents to help reduce stress,” she says.
CBC News has asked the RHRA to confirm details of the fund and will update this article as soon as that information is available.
