Bluewater Health taking over infection control, personal protective equipment and cleaning services at Vision Nursing Home in an attempt to deal with COVID-19.

Vision is one of four Lambton nursing homes with the virus in the home, however the situation at the Sarnia home continues to get worse. By Wednesday, there were 23 residents and 20 staff members who have COVID-19. Six have died.

A news release from Bluewater Health says 15 hospital staff have been working with the home. Now, the hospital is taking over some key areas to help stop the spread of COVID-19 including infection control, personal protective equipment, cleaning services.

Lambton Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sudit Ranade, says the hospital’s involvement is a partnership not a take over.

The move comes as Premier Doug Ford said he was willing to take over any long term care home which isn’t able to deal with COVID-19. His statement came a day after Canadian Military Forces officials issued a report outlining horrifying conditions at five nursing homes in the Greater Toronto Area.

The report has also sparked a conversation about long term care in Ontario – a debate Ranade is hoping the conversation will be about more than just way nursing homes are run.

“I think the larger question that I hope this gives us a chance to examine is how do we help our seniors in our age in our communities, and long term care is one part of that solution. But it’s certainly not the only part,” says Ranade.

And I think that there’s lots of learning that we can do to shape a better system. It’s not just the institutional system, but … how we look after our elderly and what supports and services they’re provided, where those are delivered and how those are delivered.”