Critical incidents up 82%, outbreaks up 133% at Au Chateau

14 outbreaks and 53 incidents highlight growing problems at local LTC home.

Last week Au Chateau held its first meeting since opening their proceedings to the public. After public pressure Au Chateau was forced to allow anyone from the public to call in and listen to their regular board meetings.

Meeting dates, call-in numbers and agendas are now posted on their website.

At the January 17th meeting, one of the most discussed items was the year-end reports. Director Jacques Dupuis, gave the board an overview of what transpired in 2023. The home faced what is likely considered their most difficult year.

First the board heard that Au Chateau had 14 respiratory outbreaks during 2023.

This was 82% higher than in 2022 and eclipsed the ten-year average for the home, which is 6.2 per year.

The organization has’t specified the source of all of these outbreaks but while following the events of 2023, it appears at least half of these were COVID-related while the rest were likely influenza.

Au Chateau has been one of the few organizations that still refuse to hire any employee that does not have at least three COVID shots or the most recently offered XBB.1.5 booster which the majority of the public has declined.

The home and it’s board Chair, Daniel Gagne, have repeatedly stressed that a fully vaccinated (against COVID) staff is critical in reducing outbreaks. However since implementing their mandatory vaccination policy in the last month of 2021, the home has seen a drastic rise in outbreaks which leads many to question the home’s motives.

Staff Shortages and Critical Incidents

Au Chateau has disproportionately suffered from staff shortages throughout this pandemic and their strict COVID rules have likely exacerbated this problem.

According to Public Health Ontario, only 18% of individuals under 30 in the North Bay district, have gotten at least three shots. Only 3.7% of people under 30 have chosen to take a shot beyond the first three (including the XBB booster).

This has meant, Au Chateau has likely not been able to hire any qualified staff throughout 2023. Leaving them perpetually short staffed.

And it appears Au Chateau residents are paying the price. At the January 17th meeting, the Director quickly brushed over the critical incident numbers. I had to wait a week to receive confirmation of these shocking figures.

Au Chateau saw 53 critical incidents in 2023, nearly double what they experienced in 2022.

The ministry lists the various scenarios that classify as “critical” but in short they generally mean: neglect or abuse of residents, improper care, misuse of residents’ money, unlawful conduct, unexpected or sudden death, residents missing for more than three hours, missing residents who return with an injury or adverse change in condition.

One critical incident from 2023 involved a staff who was found to have restrained a resident with a kitchen apron. As was discussed at the meeting, restraining residents is a huge violation of the LTC rules and the employee in question was sent for “re-training”.

Many are wondering if it’s time Au Chateau end their odd COVID rules. Especially with the revelation a few months ago, that their biggest competitor on the local labour market, the West Nipissing General Hospital has stopped requiring COVID shots to work.

This week I reached out to Au Chateau’s board members as well as the Director for comments. I also asked for confirmation on these numbers and/or any corrections.

Vice-Chair, Catherine Neddow told me that “Staffing shortages occur when there is an active virus in the community and staff members are off sick.”

Neddow who voted twice in 2023 in a manner to allow unvaccinated staff to come back, added that “Over the last few years the number of graduates from the local PSW programme has seriously dwindled.  In response to this the Ontario government continues to offer full financial support to anyone taking the PSW course.”

On the drastic spike in critical incidents Neddow said “However, on the face of it, there would appear to be causative relationship between staff shortages and increased incidents."

Short Staff = Shortcuts

When the previous board Chair, Anne Tessier was forcibly removed from her role in 2023 after she spoke out against the management of this home, she had made very disturbing allegations.

In her plea to council nine months ago, Tessier indicated that she had spoken to staff who claimed to have been reprimanded (presumably by management) unless they lied on their charts to show that residents were properly fed, changed, bathed.

At the time, the Au Chateau director, simply branded any of these whistleblowers as liars. The drastic rise in critical incidents and neglect likely support Tessier’s claim and add pressure on this home to tackle this growing problem.

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