Statement to CBC News
The following is the full statement provided to CBC News relating to the issues raised on CBC’s The National on Monday, May 4th:
Distance is difficult for all of our residents and families.
Extendicare Lakefield has been working very hard to help all of our residents feel connected in this very difficult time.
Nothing can compare to face-to-face visits and physical contact. However, we have coordinated a number of options for families to feel at least a little bit closer until it is safe to be together again.
We continue to have ongoing conversations with Ms. Nelson about a number of camera options for her mother’s room, as well as connecting regularly about her mother’s care and care plan. We have been open to having a camera installed the room since the very beginning.
It is important to note that Ms. Nelson’s mother is in a semi-private room, sharing bathroom accommodations with another resident.
We take no issue with situating a camera recording device in the private area of the room for Ms. Nelson to monitor her mother and her mother’s care. However, an audio recording device could impact a reasonable expectation of privacy for her neighbour and potentially others.
We have offered a video recording device that does not record audio, and have offered an Amazon Echo as a compromise to allow for two-way communication without recording capabilities.
We are happy to continue coordinating daily skype calls over the lunch hour and window visits for Ms. Nelson and her family, which we know are hugely important for all our residents and families to keep spirits up.
We will also continue to work respectfully with Ms. Nelson toward a solution that is acceptable.
We know that the measures in place to protect our residents, their families and our team have been very challenging, but they are in place to keep everyone safe. Our focus continues to be on providing care and good company to the people in our home and helping them to feel as connected as possible as we help our community through this pandemic.
As my experience is in health care and not in law, we have forwarded your request to Extendicare’s legal department and they provided the response below.
Sincerely,
Dawn Baldwin
Administrator, Extendicare Lakefield
From Extendicare Legal Department:
In addition to being based on its own unique facts, the Quebec case referred to applies Quebec law and Quebec legislation, all of which are different from the matter we are being asked to comment on. The Supreme Court refused to hear the Quebec appeal on its merits, and provided no reasons for its refusal (as is customary). The Quebec case, having been decided under Quebec law and Quebec legislation, is not applicable in the rest of Canada. While we try to accommodate the interests of our residents and families when we can, in this instance we need to take into account applicable law and our obligations to and the rights of others.