A Winnipeg care home that was the site of one of the province’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks will soon be closing its doors for good.
Revera said it plans to close Parkview Place Long Term Care Home and has provided the required one-year notice to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
The organization said the 60-year-old building has an outdated design and layout that is no longer conducive to caring for elderly patients.
“Its aging infrastructure presents many challenges, including narrow hallways, tight and outdated recreation and very limited outdoor space for residents to enjoy,” director of communications Larry Roberts said in an emailed statement to Global News.
Roberts said the building cannot simply be renovated to meet today’s long term care standards.
“This would be a very complex undertaking and would require that residents and staff be displaced for years,” the statement said.
“While this decision was made independent of the home’s heartbreaking outbreak this past winter, the outbreak reinforced that closing is the right thing to do.”
An outbreak was first declared at the care home on Sept. 15, 2020. The outbreak ended on Jan. 12, 2021.
During that time, the deaths of 29 residents were linked to COVID-19. In total, 119 residents tested positive and 39 staff members were also diagnosed with COVID-19.
In October, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority sent in a five-person team to inspect the facility.
It was the first time health officials had been inside since a March inspection found concerns with cleanliness and infection control, including evidence of cockroaches and filthy washrooms that smelled of urine.
The review identified the need for more medical and clinical staff, which could include doctors, nurses, health-care aides and physiotherapists, to care for residents.
The review found that staff are also in need of more training on outbreak protocols, according to the WRHA.
In January, the home’s operating licence was being reviewed and new resident admissions were suspended by the province over multiple concerns from inspectors that highlight issues with staffing and infection prevention and control.
Revera said it will support Parkview Place’s residents and families through this process, and will work closely with WRHA as it plans resident moves to other care homes.
Parkview Place will close by Aug. 10, 2022, or once all residents have transitioned.
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