“They need to know they are supported and not forgotten”

May 14, 2020 · 0 Comments

As Patricia Anne Peterson battled pneumonia in the last days of her life at the end of April, the nurses and staff did everything they could to make sure somebody was always with her. As a resident of long-term care, being there during the COVID-19 crisis was easier said than done for her children and grandchildren.

Ms. Peterson was a resident of Chartwell Aurora (formerly Resthaven) for more than two years battling Alzheimer’s Disease. In her final weeks, the residence became the epicentre of Aurora’s fight against COVID-19, with staff working every day to combat the outbreak within its walls.

“It was clear to us how hard the staff at Chartwell Aurora were working while my mum was there and, since then, the circumstances are pretty desperate there,” says Ms. Peterson’s son Kyle who, along with sisters Kymm and Korri, have started a Go Fund Me campaign in their mother’s memory to benefit the frontline workers who not only cared for their matriarch but continue to care for the more than 200 residents at Chartwell, more than 40 of whom are presently battling COVID-19.

“We figured this is a good way to honour our mum’s memory by giving support to those who supported her,” continues Kyle, who served as Newmarket-Aurora’s Member of Parliament from 2015 – 2019. “I think we need to make sure they are supported, taken care of and they’re not forgotten. They care about the people more than themselves and that is universal among them.”

With a fundraising goal of $1,000, the campaign aims to raise enough to provide staff with “meals, snacks, treats and masks” and anything else that is needed to lend a hand to the “heroes at the frontline of the pandemic.”

It has been a difficult period for the Chartwell Aurora community.

As of Tuesday, the long-term care residence was addressing 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 43 of which are reported among residents and 11 cases among healthcare workers. By May 12, 11 residents had lost their battle with the virus.

Aurora-wide, the Region of York reports 43 active cases of COVID-19 within the community. Of the 92 total confirmed Aurora cases since the start of the pandemic, 36 cases have resolved and 13 individuals have died.

The Region classifies 49 cases (53 per cent) as related to institutional outbreak, 23 cases (25 per cent) to close contact, 10 cases (11 per cent) to travel, and 9 cases (10 per cent) to local transmission. At press time, 1 case was presently under investigation.

“We have always been pleased by the level of support our mum received from the staff at Chartwell, but I think now, just the general public is more aware of long-term care and the gap there might have been in our healthcare system,” says Kyle. “The pandemic has clearly shown those gaps in stark relief, so it certainly is something that needs to be addressed when all this is said and done. The staff is incredible and their commitment, hard work and all of that has always been evident, evident before this but even more so now. Long-term care shouldn’t be this bottom-of-the-list priority when it comes to healthcare in Ontario. I think it needs to be elevated to a higher status; especially as the population continues to grow older, it is going to become more and more of an issue, so it will be more of a priority than it has been necessarily.

“On behalf of my sisters and myself, from a family member, we want to thank them profusely for the hard work I know they do all the time and the dedication they have to all the patients there. We just want to thank them for that and let them know that it doesn’t go unnoticed by us or the community.”

To contribute to the Support Chartwell Aurora Frontline Staff campaign, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/thanks-chartwell-aurora-frontline-staff.

By Brock Weir