KITCHENER -- A St. Jacobs retirement home is fighting to keep its licence.

On Jan. 17, the Village Manor had its licence revoked by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority.

 The governing body says they don't believe the rules are being followed.

Public inspection reports list a number of alarming alleged infractions over the past three years.

The home's owner-operators are disputing the claims and are appealing the loss of the license.

More than thirty reports detail numerous alleged infractions including:

  • Requesting and borrowing money from a resident on numerous occasions
  • Not following medication administration or storage guidelines or keeping accurate records of drugs given
  • Failing to re-assess residents within two days of a fall
  • Verbal and emotional abuse of a resident
  • No evidence of interventions or strategies being put in place for a resident who attempted suicide
  • Instances of residents were left with only a teenage volunteer or all alone
  • Not properly reporting a sexual assault, with no evidence of a thorough investigation

 

The inspection reports state that in many of these instances corrective action was taken at the home, but the RHRA says they no longer believe the licensee can operate the home in a responsible manner.

In a statement, the Village Manor says the RHRA did not conduct a thorough investigation.

“We are dedicated to operating our home in a manner that allows the residents to live with dignity, respect, privacy and autonomy in security, safety and comfort,” the statement read. “We are committed to going far beyond what is required under the act to help our residents.”

According to experts, it is very rare for a retirement home's license to be taken away.

“The revocation of a licence is a fairly drastic step, something that is done with a lot of consideration and only when it is absolutely necessary to do so,” said Graham Webb, executive director of Advocacy Centre for the Elderly.

Webb says only 11 of the 1,200 licenses issued by the RHRA have been revoked.

“Before you get to get to the situation of a license revocation, I think it's fair to say that all other avenues have been exhausted,” said Webb. “It's really a situation as a last resort when there's no other alternative to revoke the license to protect the health safety and welfare of the residents.”

The revocation made on Jan. 17 is being appealed, which means the home can stay open for now.

The appeal will be heard in May 2020.