Red Cross help is on the way for Parkview Place and Maples care homes

The Canadian Red Cross will step in to help some Manitoba personal care homes fight COVID-19.

Revera, the for-profit company that owns several personal care homes dealing with COVID-19outbreaks, says it has reached out to the Red Cross for staffing help for Parkview PlaceandMaplesLong TermCare Home,according to an updateposted to its website.

The company says it's working with the Red Cross and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority "on aplan to provide additional staffing resources to support the residents with delivery of meals, recreation activities and companionship [and]maintaining isolation in rooms."

News of the Red Cross assistancecomes more than a month and a halfafter the outbreak was declared at ParkviewPlace and a week-and-a-half after COVID-19 started spreading through Maples Long Term Care Home.

The announcementalso comes on the heels ofa series ofCBC News reports which revealed lack of isolation ofresidents with COVID-19 from uninfected ones, staff shortages andfilthy conditions atParkview Place.

Red Cross help is on the way for Winnipeg care homes

4 years ago

Duration 1:24

Revera, the for-profit company that owns several personal care homes dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks, says it has reached out to the Red Cross for staffing help for Parkview Place and Maples Long Term Care Home

• CBC Investigates
  Winnipeg health authority needs to step in at Parkview Place, as outbreak leads to 22 deaths: geriatric expert

Provincial health officialsconducted asecond surprise inspection of Parkview in less than two weekslast Wednesday and found "no areas of immediate concern," they said.

"The review team did not observe any gaps in resident care," said a spokesperson for the health department in a written statement.

Provincial health inspectors did findphysical distancing of residents needs improvement as doesmaintenance and housekeeping.

Revera has already started addingstaff

"Staffing is stabilizing at Parkview Place," wrote Dr. RhondaCollins, Revera's Ontario-based chief medical officer.

"We have also augmented the regular staff with agency nurses and personnel from security firms to help keep residents isolated in their rooms," wroteCollins.

The Red Cross says it is currently working with the province on the staffing plan but left talking about the details up to provincial health officials.

The WRHA saysRed Cross personnel will be placed in support aide roles and it's workingto have this staff in place as soon as possible."These roles do not provide personal health care to residents," wrote a WRHA spokesperson.

Staffing assistancewill only go tothe Parkview and Maples homes for now, but the WRHA says that could change should the need arise elsewhere.

Manitoba has declared COVID-19 outbreaks at more than a dozen care homes since the pandemic began.As of Tuesday, care home outbreakshad resulted in at least 373 cases and 38 deaths.

Almost two-thirds of those deaths are at Winnipeg's Parkview Place.The outbreak at the privately-runcare home has resulted in 23 deaths and a total of 138 cases since it was declared on Sept. 15, the province said on Monday.

But Manitoba's largest care home outbreakis at Maples Long-Term Care Home, also in Winnipeg. The outbreak at Maples, declared on Oct. 23, has resulted in 157 cases as of Tuesday according to Revera. Seven peoplehave died according to the province.

Revera announced it has hired a Winnipeg-based epidemiologist to help withcontact tracingand to help figure out what Collins is callingan"unusually high rate of asymptomatic positive cases and atypical symptoms" at the personal care homes.

Provinceofficially asks for federalhelp

Health Minister Cameron Friesensaysa letterofficially asking for federal support through the Canadian Red Crosswas sent to Minister of Public SafetyBill Blair on Tuesday.

"Initially, health system leaders are working with the Red Cross to assess the ability to assist at Parkview Place and Maples Long Term Care Home. The specific role of the Red Cross is still being finalized and more details will be released in the days to come," wrote Friesen in an emailed statement.

Friesen said Monday he also raised the question of military support for Manitoba intensive care units in his Sunday conversation with Canada's Health Minister Patty Hajdu

"It wouldn't be the point we are at now," Friesen said. "At this point in time, those discussions remain in place, there is some investigation."

If you have a tip about personal care homes,click here tocontactJill Coubrough.