‘We need your help’: Local retirement homes experiencing shortage of masks, gloves

Hospitals aren’t the only ones worried about the shortage of protective equipment — local retirement homes, too, say they’re running low on essential medical supplies like gloves, masks and gowns.

It was Friday night when Michael Pichette, who manages three seniors homes — Billingswood Manor in Nepean, Lombard Manor in Smiths Falls and Cumberland Lodge in Cumberland — took to Facebook to ask for the community’s help.

And although his and other seniors homes have been preparing for COVID-19 since it was first reported, Pichette says things are far worse than anticipated.

“Because of how it’s evolved throughout the globe, clearly supplies are being diverted to areas where they are most need now, and that’s not us,” Pichette said. “You’ll find most retirement communities, we’re all in the same boat. This was a call for me, but I’m sure I’m echoing the call of almost every general manager in the city of Ottawa.”

Among the supplies needed are masks and gloves. Pichette says he has about 2,000 gloves on hand, however, forecast models are telling him he’ll likely need 4,000 to maintain the need. 

The most critically needed protective gear, though, are hospital gowns. 

“I do not have thousands of gowns,” he said. “If you have 10 people infected and they’re touched six times a day, then you’re going through 60 gowns a day. It doesn’t take long to go through hundreds and hundreds of these things.”

Pichette began ordering supplies about six weeks ago when he saw the number of cases were starting to climb in Wuhan, China. 

“If it’s wasn’t my first order, it was my second order that I started seeing back order and longer delivery times,” he said. “Now I’m going online ordering what I can, when I can and how I can. For my last order, I found a place [to buy] 50 masks and I paid as much to get them shipped, which was about $70 for delivery.”

In all, Pichette estimates he has enough medical gear to last the next three weeks, as long as “the numbers don’t go crazy.”

“If I end up with 40 or 50 of my residents getting [COVID-19], well then I’ll be out of this stuff in a matter of a week,” he said. “Or if this drags on for four or five weeks, then we’ll definitely have some issues.”

Another essential need for Pichette are volunteers. 

The manager says he is staffed properly now and has even added extra staff. What worries him, though, is if staff members become ill, limiting his man power.

Pichette hopes people will not only think about helping the homes he manages, but also lend a hand to other retirement homes within their own neighbourhood. 

“It’s incredibly important because if my front-line staff go down, then who’s going to take care of the residents,” Pichette asked. “I got hundreds of lives [to protect]. It’s hard. I’m lying awake at night worrying about this stuff, like I’m sure my colleagues across the province are right now. We know our sector is the most vulnerable.”

“At the end of the day, are we front-line like a nurse in a hospital? Absolutely not. But we’re as close to it as can be.”

Those interested in volunteering or offering up supplies to Billingswood Manor, Lombard Manor or Cumberland Lodge are asked to contact Pichette at g.manager@billingswoodmanor.com.