For the second time since opening two years ago, Extendicare Countryside in Sudbury has been ordered by the province not to take on any new long-term care residents. On Aug. 6, the Ministry of Long-Term Care ordered Extendicare Countryside not to admit new residents following the most recent inspection report dated July 20. That inspection found six items of concern, including allegations of abuse of a resident, allegations of improper care and a complaint related to care of a resident. The notification posted online states the order is based on the “belief there is a risk to the health, safety and well-being of residents who reside in the home or individuals who may be admitted to the home.” 120 ‘findings of non-compliance’ In an email to CTV News, the ministry said Countryside had undergone 18 inspections in the last two years “and has been issued 120 findings of non-compliance, including written notifications, compliance orders, administrative monetary penalties, and director referrals.” “To address ongoing non-compliance and mitigate risk to residents, Ontario Health at Home ceased admissions to Extendicare Countryside on Aug. 6,” the email said. “We will continue to closely monitor the home’s performance and compliance status and will take any further action necessary to ensure the well-being of residents.” A spokesperson for Extendicare said it has an action plan in place to address the ministry’s concerns. It said action taken so far includes: • Strengthened on-site leadership, including a new executive director, four assistant directors of care and a new regional director of operations. • Additional clinical and operational team members are regularly being deployed to support day-to-day operations and resident care. • Improved approach for direct engagement between home leaders, residents and families to address concerns as they arise. • Increased audits by frontline leadership to ensure care quality, consistency and compliance. “We are grateful for the ministry’s partnership and remain focused on delivering the highest quality of care to our residents,” Extendicare said in the email. A similar order was issued to Extendicare Countryside in December 2024. In a news release, SEIU Healthcare, the union that represents 300 workers at Countryside, said the issues are well-known to staff. “Our members have been raising these concerns for months,” Rhonda Savarie, SEIU Healthcare union representative, said in the release. “The people providing care every day know exactly what is happening inside this home. They have repeatedly raised concerns about staffing levels, workloads and operational decisions that make it harder to provide the care residents deserve. It’s time for these concerns to be taken seriously.” The union said it is formally calling on Extendicare to immediately address chronic staffing shortages, fill vacant positions, provide transparency regarding proposed layoffs, and work with the union to address the staffing issues affecting both workers and residents. The home officially opened in May 2024.
