FORT FRANCES, ON — The operator of the Rainycrest long-term care home in Fort Frances has entered into a three-year third-party management agreement with Extendicare Assist.
Extendicare is the private-sector company that has also been providing management services—under an order from the Ministry of Health—at St. Joseph's Care Group's Hogarth Riverview Manor in Thunder Bay since late 2017.
The ministry last February closed Riverside Health Care's Rainycrest facility to new admissions due to repeated non-compliance issues.
Eric Hoskins, the health minister at the time, said an inspection had revealed care and staffing issues that he called "deeply concerning."
In a news release Monday, Riverside Health Care said consultants from Extendicare are now on site at Rainycrest to conduct an operational review, with additional consultants arriving in the coming weeks.
"During this six-week operational review process the team's management services will focus on a 360-degree view of all care areas in the home," the release stated. "We firmly believe that by hiring Extendicare Assist to support our management of the home we will meet our critical need to re-open to admissions."
In September, Riverside announced that a ministry re-inspection of its LTC home in July had found significant operational improvements, resulting in compliance orders being lifted for infection control and some other areas, but "some level of non-compliance" remained in care planning and staffing.
In addition, it said, the ministry had issued new compliance orders in the areas of safe lifts and transfers, and physiotherapy.
"We are aware of the impact the closure to admissions has placed on residents, families, staff and all of the Rainy River District," said Riverside CEO Ted Scholten.
According to Monday's announcement, while the current operational review is underway, the health ministry has extended the next due date for correction of outstanding non-compliance issues. The extension is until Nov. 5, but a further extension will be requested if necessary.
Once the review is complete, Riverside's statement said, "under our direction [Extendicare Assist] will begin to provide management services for all resident care areas" including nursing, dietary and programs, as well as guidance for office functions.
