TORONTO -- Many residents of long-term care homes have found themselves rushed to hospital wards in their battle against COVID-19.
But recovering doesn鈥檛 necessarily assure a safe future for these seniors.
After a hospital stay, the families of those who recover are saddled with a difficult decision.
Should they place their loved one back in a long-term care situation -- where they caught the virus in the first place -- or shoulder the burden of caring for them at home?
One of the families that had to wrestle with that choice was the Wheelands.
Mother鈥檚 Day was bittersweet for 87-year old Connie Wheeland, who celebrated at her new apartment in Montreal. Although family surrounded her, one person was missing. Last month, she lost her husband Ken to COVID-19.
Her son Peter told 麻豆影视, 鈥淢y mother grieving and she was grieving alone.鈥�
Wheeland also got the virus, but survived after spending 10 days in hospital. As many as 46 other residents at her long-term care facility, Maison Herron, died.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a building that was full of nightmares for my mother,鈥� her son said.
Those nightmares only got worse when a doctor told a recovering Wheeland that she would have to return to the nursing home once she was well.
鈥淲e said under no circumstances is she going back to Herron,鈥� her son said.
The family was adamant they wanted her home. But first, they had to prove they could look after her, a task that Peter and his sister, Judie, took seriously.
They get a bit of help from two workers who come by daily, but most of the care falls to the two siblings, who are both retired.
They are aware that not everyone has the time and ability to take care of their older relatives.
鈥淎 lot of people wouldn鈥檛 be able to do that,鈥� Peter acknowledged.
One person backed into a corner is Kim Luhmann, whose mother, Marilyn, has been in a Belleville, Ont. hospital since suffering a stroke.
Officials have told Luhmann that her mother needs proper long-term care.
鈥淣ot a chance would I send my mother to a nursing home during a pandemic," Luhmann said.
But the hospital needs the bed, and Luhmann is already struggling to juggle working with caring for her aging father.
"I can鈥檛 bring her home because I can鈥檛 care for her with the small amount of home care they offer,鈥� Luhmann said.
As a result, her mother is still in hospital, waiting for placement to a long-term care facility.
鈥淚t鈥檚 heart wrenching, and to put her into a nursing home,鈥� Luhmann said. 鈥淚t just seems like we鈥檙e just giving up.鈥�
So far, there have been 271 outbreaks at Ontario鈥檚 626 long-term care homes, with 189 outbreaks still unresolved. These homes now account for around three quarters of all COVID-19 deaths in Ontario.
