A regulatory agency for retirement homes has taken action against Dre’s Lodge in Sunderland for a range of issues.

Late last month, the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) issued a summary order requiring that a manager be retained to oversee all operations at the home.

It specifically involves failing to protect residents from neglect, implementing all requirements of resident Plans of Care, ensuring that staff are appropriately trained and that medication administration is appropriately documented, providing meal services in accordance with nutritional requirements, investigating an allegation of financial abuse and implementing provincial directives related to COVID-19.

“The Registrar believes on reasonable grounds that the Licensee (Dre’s Lodge Inc.) cannot or will not properly manage the operations of the home without assistance,” it concludes.

While the RHEA would not specify what incidents necessitated the order, Dre’s Lodge has been cited for numerous infractions during inspections throughout 2020.

They included:

– Receiving a complaint about sexual abuse and providing no evidence of an investigation (inspection date Dec. 21);

– Failing to provide a resident with appropriate assistance to determine why they were not eating and refusing medications. This resulted in harm to the resident, according to a report (Dec. 15);

– Not documenting an investigation following alleged abuse of a resident (Sept. 28);

– Concerns about resident neglect involving living conditions that did not meet “acceptable standards” regarding cleanliness and general repair (June 25); and,

– Numerous instances of failing to comply with provincial directives surrounding COVID-19 including the screening of residents and staff and the lack of an established visitor policy. On one occasion, the inspector from the RHRA was not screened upon entry and two staff members working in the home were not wearing masks, according to a report.

We’ve reached out to Dre’s Lodge Inc. for further comment but have yet to receive a response. Check back for updates to the story.