Retirement home residents complain about mistreatment and food quality

By Saloni Bhugra

Residents at a Chartwell retirement home say they are receiving bad treatment and subpar food even after writing letters to the officials.

Samantha, an 82-year-old resident at a Chartwell home who asked to use a pseudonym, wrote in an email to Skedline that she was asked to “watch herself” and threatened to be moved after requesting changes to the meal plan.

About 10 years ago, Samantha signed a $10,000 contract with Chartwell that prevents her rent from going up. She pays over $2,100 a month for her accommodation and meal plan and spends extra on her groceries because she can’t eat the dishes full of cheese due to her allergies.

“It seems to me that the chefs have no say whatsoever,” she said.

Considering that a lot of residents have dementia or other severe health issues, Carol McDonald, a long-time nurse in retirement homes and hospitals who has specialized in dementia and palliative care, is concerned about this approach.

“It is really sad that these companies only care for profit and the residents are not treated well. The food served cannot be consumed by young people, let alone old people… most of my friends have to cook even after paying for food,” she said.

According to a 2019 CBC Marketplace report, 10,000 inspection reports resulted in 30,000 “written notices” of violations of the Long-Term Care Homes Act and Regulations (LTCHA), between 2015 and 2019.

Skedline talked to McDonald about the situation in long-term care homes. Listen to the audio below. Skedline requested comment from representatives from Chartwell and other retirement homes but did not receive a response.