Sheri St. Denis’ grandmother, Lilian Burden — whom she calls ‘bubby’ — lives in a nursing home in Toronto. In early March, staff announced three confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the same home.
All residents were immediately isolated to their rooms and guests were forbidden from visiting in an attempt to control the spread. “I felt very scared and helpless,” St.
Denis said. “All I wanted to do was be there with her and hold her hand, but I couldn’t.” St. Denis is just one of thousands of Canadians who fear for family living in a nursing home or long-term care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These homes have been disproportionately targeted by the virus, and hundreds of these spaces continue to grapple with fatal outbreaks.