90 long-term care homes in Ontario still without air conditioning amid heatwave, ministry says

Ninety long-term care homes in Ontario do not have air conditioning in all resident rooms, according to the provincial government.

In an email on Wednesday, the long-term care ministry said the remaining 537 out of 627 long-term care homes in the province are fully air conditioned and all long-term care homes in the province have designated cooling areas for residents.

Legislation passed last year requires air conditioning to be installed in all resident rooms at long-term care homes as of this year.

Of thosenot fully air-conditioned, 57 are for-profit, 25 are non-profit and eight are municipally operated.

"The Ministry of Long-Term Care continues to work with Infrastructure Ontario and remaining homes not yet fully air conditioned to make more progress installing air conditioning in all resident rooms as soon as possible," the ministry said.

According to the ministry,some homes have experienced delays in installing units in all rooms for a variety of reasons, including global supply chain issues, COVID-19 outbreaks and visitor restrictions preventing contractors from entering homes.

It also said electrical upgrades or changes to building structures are required in some cases.

Jacy Ruuhala, a North York resident, said herfather's room is unbearable due to a lack of air conditioning. The 77-year-old, whohas been residingin the private long-term care home since last October2021, has COVID-19and is isolated.

The window in his room opens a crack but fansare not allowed because they apparently blow the virus around, she said.

"There's no air circulating. There's nothing.It's just humid, hot air. It'suncomfortable," she said.

WATCH | Amid sweltering heat, dozens of Ontario care homes still lack air conditioning:

Dozens of Ontario care homes still without air conditioning

2 years ago

Duration 2:01

Residents in dozens of long-term care facilities in Ontario are still living without air conditioning, despite new legislation. One woman is speaking out about what that's meant for her father in long-term care.

Ruuhala said the lack of air conditioning has herconcerned about her father, who hasParkinson's disease and dementia.

She said Ontario Premier Doug Ford has not fulfilled the promise he made two years agothat all residents' rooms in long-term care homes would be air conditioned. She saidthe home has told her it can't finish putting an air conditioningunit in because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"It's just horrible," she said.

"I am feeling really angry with the government and that it was a broken promise that he ensured all long term care centres and homes would have air conditioning and he didn't provide that."

Ruuhalasaid she would likegovernment officials toexperience the heat themselves.

"Come and spend two hours in a home in a closed wing and feel the same fear and worry and anxiety of coming in there and donall the PPEand sit there and sweat," she said.

Vivian Stamatopoulos, an associate teaching professor at Ontario Tech University and a long-term care advocate, said it's a "systemic failure" thatair conditioning is not in place in all long-term care homes in Ontario. There's no excuse, she said.

"Give me a break.Give me a break.I am so tired of excuses I could go to Canadian Tire right now and get a Dyson," she said.

Stamatopoulossaid it's "incredibly dangerous" for older adults to live in these conditions andunsafe for staff.

"I am hearing accounts from staff who tellme directly they have near fainted while on shift working in those conditions, let alone the residents having to live in those conditions as well," she said.

"This isdangerous across the board."