‘It’s elder abuse:’ Two more private care homes close in Regina

Two more assisted living facilities are closing their doors in Regina, sending their residents packing.

Precious Memories and nearby Parkview Villa, which are owned by the private company Orange Tree Living, are set to close in November.

At the end of September, another long-term care facility announced it would also be closing is doors.

Kelly Pierson spoke to media at the Legislative Building on Thursday to advocate for her mother, who lives in one of the facilities.

“It’s elder abuse; it’s negligence. We weren’t given enough notice to turn around and find a place on two days’ notice,” she said.

Pierson wants a seniors advocate and a bill of rights to protect seniors in the province.

Orange Tree Living alerted residents and their family at the beginning of October that the facilities would close on Nov. 2.

Two weeks after the initial alert, the timeline was pushed up even more and residents were urged to leave as soon as possible.

Pierson said her family paid for her mother’s rent until the end of October and they plan to stay for the duration of the month.

“We are mad as hell and we aren’t going anywhere. We have to stand up for the people in this province who are living with dementia and all the seniors who have built this province. It is their right to demand better,” she exclaimed.

Thankfully for Pierson and her family, they were able to find another home for Pierson’s mother, but she worries for the staff at the facility who will lose their jobs.

“There are many girls who work at Precious Memories and work various jobs throughout the city because they can’t get full-time hours,” she explained.

She worries about the staff, a lot of whom are new Canadians, who need to meet certain guidelines to receive their Canadian citizenship.

Jeanette Kaytor had to move her mother who recently got out of the hospital.

“She was just starting to recover and get better, and then boom, we have to find another care home,” said Kaytor.

The notice came as a shock to Kaytor and her family.

“We just felt that the rug was pulled out from under us,” she said.

Kaytor’s mother is living with dementia and physical disabilities. She said most people living in the care home suffer from similar ailments.

“How do you do this to a senior? It’s different if you’re 20 years old and you’re planning a move. Here, this is supposed to be their twilight years. This is the place that we decided that she would be OK,” she said.

Kaytor said their family got lucky and were able to move their mother out of the facility two weeks ago.

“We just had to get out and make sure that she was safe. Who wants to move their family at this time of year?” she asked.

Seniors Minister Tim McLeod said ensuring a smooth transition for the elderly residents is his top priority. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Government response

Tim McLeod, the provincial government’s minister responsible for seniors, met with the staff and family members and is deeply concerned with the closures.

“I’ve tasked my staff to ensure that the families and the staff have the available resources that they need to ensure a smooth transition and further steps,” he said.

He said in Regina there are approximately 71 private care home providers and about 50 per cent of them have vacancies.

He couldn’t confirm how many beds are currently vacant.

Right now, the families and residents are his primary concern. He is hoping for a seamless transition for the residents.

As for the long term, McLeod is excited for a new investment.

“We are making the largest capital investment in the history of long-term care with the expansion of 600 long-term care spaces in the city of Regina,” he said.

In regards to the Lutheran Care Home announcement, he said a Saskatchewan Health Authority investigation of the facility deemed it wasn’t a viable decision to take over the property.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick