Problems at Extendicare Countryside in Sudbury must be fixed before taking in new residents

Sudbury LTC home barred from accepting residents Extendicare Countryside in Greater Sudbury has been ordered by the province not to take on new residents.

Extendicare Countryside in Greater Sudbury was ordered Dec. 16 by the province not to take in new residents.

The 256-bed facility on Algonquin Road has been open less than a year and said it has experienced challenges since moving into a new building.

In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Long-Term Care said there were enough issues found at the home to warrant the order.

"While there are no specific thresholds that trigger a cease of admissions in a long-term care home, any home that fails to meet the care standards set out in the Fixing Long-Term Care Act is subject to corrective actions," the email said.

A letter from the ministry to the placement coordinator at Extendicare Countryside said there is a concern over the "risk to health, safety and well-being of residents" living there or to individuals admitted as new residents.

An Oct. 4 inspection report listed five issues: a complaint related to the alleged neglect of a resident; a breakdown of a major system; the fall of a resident that caused an injury; a complaint related to care concerns of a resident; and, the neglect of a resident.

No one from Extendicare was available for an interview, but in an email, a spokesperson calls the suspension of admissions "an important opportunity for us to pause, better support our team members and partner more closely with residents and families."

The email said that navigating the switch from the older and smaller Extendicare Falconbridge to the larger facility last spring resulted in new challenges.

Along with the existing residents, the larger home also welcomed more than 50 new residents.

As part of its action plan to address the ministry’s order, Extendicare said it has bolstered on-site leadership, including additional oversight for all clinical operations by a second regional director deployed to support the team directly within the home.

It said it has increased care team staffing levels to exceed provincial requirements.

It has also "improved our system for direct engagement between home leaders and residents and families to address concerns as they arise, guided by a National Director of Quality."

Extendicare said it has also strengthened recruitment efforts "and supports for our dedicated team."

"Throughout this process, we will continue to keep families, residents and team members informed of our progress, and seek their feedback on our path forward," Extendicare said.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care said the home won't be able to accept new residents until inspectors are satisfied the home has complied and can demonstrate its ability to continue to do so in the future.

If compliance isn’t achieved, Extendicare Countryside will be subject to escalating penalties.