Posted on 03/30/2021 8:13:00 PM PDT by lightman
TORONTO—Residents of Ontario’s long-term care homes begged on Tuesday to be allowed outside, saying anti-pandemic restrictions that have confined them indoors for more than a year make no sense given almost all have now been vaccinated.
Some compared their situations to solitary confinement, and urged the provincial government to act on what they called a gross violation of their basic human rights.
Chuck Ferkranus, a resident of a home in Newmarket, Ont., said no one in the building has COVID-19 and yet residents are stuck in their rooms. Ferkranus, who challenged those in authority to live as he does for even a week, said residents are being treated worse than criminals.
“We did nothing wrong; we’re not guilty of any crime,” he said. “If vaccinations don’t end the rules, if no one having COVID doesn’t end the restrictions, then what does it take before this comes to an end?”
Many of an estimated 150,000 nursing home residents have been confined to their rooms or floors for as long as 15 months now, cut off from most relatives as well as the outdoors. Activists blame extreme staffing shortages and operators who prioritize corporate needs ahead of the welfare of residents.
Advocates also say the restrictions make no sense. Scientific evidence, they note, indicates COVID-19 is far less likely to spread outdoors than indoors.
They also point to evidence that extreme isolation is physically and mentally damaging, especially to residents of nursing homes, many of whom suffer cognitive difficulties and need familiar faces and touch.
“It just cannot go on like this; people are really suffering,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. “We’re furious and we’re heartbroken.”
Alfred Borg, another resident in Newmarket, said he hasn’t been allowed outside for more than a year or even had a shower for five or six months. Instead, he said, residents only get in-room sponge baths when even the law guarantees twice a week baths or showers.
“All day long we just sit in our room,” Borg said. “Why are we being treated so much differently from everyone else? It is not enough just being alive. We need a better quality of life.”
Dr. Amit Arya, a palliative care physician in long-term care, said quality of life is crucial and infection control can’t be allowed to trump all. The restrictions, he said, cannot be justified in light of the “profound harm” social isolation and loneliness can cause seniors.
Jane Meadus, a lawyer, called the restrictions a violation of human rights. While anti-pandemic measures loosen in the rest of society, she said, seniors continue to suffer.
“All along, these detentions have been illegal,” Meadus said.
Premier Doug Ford and his ministers have not responded to letters Meadus wrote last month calling for a ban on such confinement, she said.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Ford expressed some sympathy but gave no indication he would act on the concerns.
“I fully understand—my mother-in-law’s in there,” Ford said. “But we have to be super cautious.”
Health Minister Christine Elliott Elliott confirmed more than 90 percent of long-term care residents have been fully vaccinated but did not address the confinement issue.
Michelle Morriseau said the only time in a year her mom was allowed out of her nursing home in Thunder Bay, Ont., was for four hours recently to attend her husband’s funeral.
“She got to come out for a funeral, and when she returned to the home, she was put in (nine-day) isolation,” a distraught Morriseau said. “My mom is so different when she’s outside. She’s bright, she’s alert.”
In some cases, activists said homes had called police to enforce the lockdown even though they have no authority to do so.
“It’s beyond appalling,” Mehra said.
By
The CCP Flu is NOT the only enemy.
I’m so confused. What’s the point of being vaccinated then?
The slight of hand is that the “vaccination” is not a true vaccination. The forces that be care less anyway because a true vaccine would eradicate the virus and they don’t want that to happen.
Shhhhhh....
Your “betters” don’t allow such questioning.
Or questions like these:
If “social distancing” “works” why do we “need” masks?
If masks “work”, why do we “need” “social distancing?
If the vaccines works why do we “need” either of those?
elder abuse...
I think I found the reason..
“I fully understand—my mother-in-law’s in there,” Ford said.
Absolutely appalling.
“You will stay in your prison cells until we allow otherwise. If you are miserable and/or die, then that’s your f@cking problem.” - Leftists in Canada
What you think. Being safe, free will, or absolute totalitarian bullshit.
The vac is the key. It’s going to be the hook.
Yes. This is horrible. They need to get the sunshine into their eyes, smell the fresh air, and feel Earth under their feet.
Hideous and evil.
they have so little left to look forward to, is a little bit of spring sunshine really that much to ask?
it might be their last one...
aggressive cruelty, God how i hate these people
Submission. Submit to the will of the state.

Canadians are not so nice, after all. Who would have thought?
Actually, they might have a lot to look forward to, if their lives weren’t so constrained by others’ ‘dictates’.
No matter how old or disabled we become, there is always inspiration and interest in Nature, and in natural human engagement.
These people are arbitrarily deprived of all of that, by bureaucratic robots who have lost all sense of true humanity yet somehow think that they ‘know better’.
It is a leaky Vaccine
150,000 prisoners of the State - guilty of no crime - and not a single son, daughter or grandchild with the guts to free a single one.
“The slight of hand is that the “vaccination” is not a true vaccination.”
Which begs the question: then exactly what the hell IS it? A placebo? Nanotechnology? A kill switch? Just speculating, since it isn’t changing a thing we’ve been put through for a year. Asking for a friend.
My brother died last week of Covid and was living is Assisted living . Not because of Covid itself but how it isolated him.
For over a year in lockdown and only allowed televisits or window visits. Because of his dementia I felt it would be easier on him but now think it made it worse. One day family could visit and the he was cut off from seeing family. He probably wondered why. It was finally decided Hospice was appropriate, and was able to have visits for a little over 2 weeks and the night he passed I had the feeling I should stay with him. When he needed something a couple of times I would go to the nurses station. I was told by one of their help to use the call light instead because of preventing traffic because of Covid. I lost it. I told her Covid is the reason my brother is dying. He had been isolated with nothing more than a window visit (he wasn’t able to comprehend zoom visits). I told her I didn’t want to here the word “Covid” again
I don’t know if it made a difference but I can’t help but wonder. When I see that little Hitler Dr Faulci, I wish this to happen to him or a loved one of his. He needs to be thrown in prison and key thrown away
If they have been inside for a year, then the lack of sunshine means a shortage of a vital vitamin D which can be detected in their next lab work, blood & urine analysis. A full vitamin analysis should be done at least once a year on seniors as other essential vitamin levels could be low for various reasons.
If you are a senior reading this, ask your Medical person to include this analysis in your next physical exam and also ask why it is not required thing at least once a year just as checking what your GFR is in terms of Chronic Kidney Disease > CKD.
d
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