Thread by @MickeyDjuric

🧵 : Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak declared at Parkside @Extendicare on Nov. 20 (that killed 39 LTC home residents), the facility had 13 other outbreaks between January 2020 to July 2020:

- 11 respiratory
- 1 vomiting/diarrhea
- 1 scabies

#covid19sk #skpoli

.@saskhealth officials said in the ombudsman report that:

- Parkside @extendicare had more outbreaks than any other facility in Saskatchewan
- That's because residents were housed four in 1 room - The "infrastructure does not lend itself to disease control”

#covid19sk #skpoli

The Sask ombudsman's probe into Parkside @Extendicare said the facility’s 4-bed rooms were a major contributing factor to the outbreak. (That’s 4 people in 1 room). Here are highlights from the report....

#covid19sk #skpoli

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health + @saskhealth + @extendicare all knew for a decade (10 years) that Parkside was at the end of its useful life. This ultimately would contribute to the province's deadliest COVID-19 outbreak.

#skpoli #covid19sk

In 2011, the health region assessed Parkside and gave it a functionality score of +22 on a sale from -20 to +100. It was noted, “Parkside had major infection control issues.”

#skpoli #covid19sk

In 2011, @extendicare approached the Ministry of Health, proposing to finance a new facility if the gov’t reimbursed it 80% of the cost over a 25-30 year period. In April 2012, the project was approved in principle. #covid19sk #skpoli

June 2013, air quality issues were flagged at Parkside @extendicare by residents + family council + in @saskhealth's assessment report.

#covid19sk #skpoli

While the new facility was approved in principle, the Ministry was concerned about not using a competitive procurement process to seek proposals for the replacement of Extendicare’s Regina facilities. @extendicare said it would not participate in a competitive tendering process.

Oct. 2013, Parkside @extendicare's president emailed then-Minister of Health Dustin Duncan to express his frustration with its “three-year effort” to replace its facilities in Regina with little progress being made in getting approval from the province. #skpoli

In 2018, another report flagged the lack of spaces at Parkside. Ministry of Health + @extendicare still couldn’t agree on funding. In 2019, @saskhealth posted a request for proposals for the provision of LTC accommodations + services in Regina. Extendicare didn’t submit.

June 2019, @extendicare warned the ministry of health it would have to consider the future of its LTC facilities in Saskatchewan if the government would not commit to its proposal. #skpoli

Aug 26, 2020 (during the pandemic) @extendicare met + made a presentation to then-Minister of Health Jim Reiter seeking support and funding to redevelop its long-term care homes in Sask. #skpoli #covid19sk

.@Extendicare told then-Minister of Health Jim Reiter it was removing its 3- to 4-bed rooms in Ontario homes to mitigate risks of COVID infection. It wanted to do the same in Sask, but it did not start happening until after the outbreak was declared.

#covid19sk #skpoli

86% of Parkside’s rooms were shared rooms (40 2-bed rooms, and 34 4-bed rooms). Removing 3- to 4-bed rooms would mean a loss of 68 beds at Parkside @extendicare.

Ombudsman says @extendicare + @saskhealth knew 4-bed rooms were cause for significant concern since the pandemic began, but they did not take steps “to actually decrease their use before the outbreak.”

#covid19sk #skpoli

.@saskhealth authority had 100s of empty beds across Sask for acute care, but it wasn't part of the plan to use those beds to eliminate 4-bed rooms in LTC homes in the pandemic

In the end, 39 Parkside residents died, in a facility that had the most 4-bed rooms #covid19sk #skpoli