WINNIPEG -- Staff at Maples Personal Care Home in Winnipeg fell behind on reporting the deaths of 11 residents caused by COVID-19, after having to prioritize care over paperwork.
Over the weekend, the province reported 25 deaths due to COVID-19 that had occurred between Nov. 3 and Nov. 14. A total of 18 of these deaths were linked to the outbreak at Maples.
On Monday, Revera, the for-profit company that runs the home, confirmed clinical staff at Maples did fall behind on reporting COVID-19 deaths, which led to the backlog in reporting 11 deaths.
“The team at Maples did, however, fall behind in completing the comprehensive death notification documentation which is required by Public Health,” Larry Roberts, the director of communications for Revera told CTV News in a written statement.
“This documentation can only be completed by clinical staff at Maples, and our clinical staff are the same people who need to deliver clinical care to our residents. The home prioritized resident care and as a result the paperwork for Public Health was delayed and completed on Friday for 11 persons who had passed away.”
The care home said clinical staff report to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority any time a resident passes away.
“It is not normal for this kind of delay in reporting to occur and we regret that we fell behind in completing documentation,” Roberts said.
This comes more than one week after the care home experienced what was later described as a “nightmare” as multiple 911 calls led first responders to treat 12 residents on-site. Over a span of 48 hours, eight residents at the care home died. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority later reported the care home had been short-staffed.
The WRHA is now conducting a safety review of the care the residents are receiving.
While she could not provide specific details, Lanette Siragusa, the chief nursing officer for Shared Health said sometimes staff must prioritize tasks.
-With files from CTV’s Josh Crabb
