Witness Testimony

Leanne Duke testified that she was the primary caregiver and Power of Attorney for her father, who had advanced Parkinson’s disease and dementia and lived in a retirement home at the beginning of the pandemic. She provided daily essential medical care, including managing a stoma for medication delivery. On March 31, 2020, she was barred from entering the home due to lockdown restrictions and was prevented from continuing his daily care or bringing his dog, which had provided emotional support. During this period, she observed significant infection and deterioration of his stoma when she was permitted to take him to medical appointments.
She further testified that isolation had severe psychological effects. Without access to his dog and daily family presence, her father became depressed, confused, and began wandering in distress. Although essential caregiver exemptions were later introduced, she described inconsistent enforcement of screening and PPE requirements by the facility. In September 2021, he moved to long-term care, where she initially resumed daily care and assisted him with walking due to fall risk and staffing shortages. On December 10, 2021, she was again barred from entry due to her vaccination status, preceding formal provincial directives.
Duke testified that after her removal, her father rapidly declined. Isolation requirements following Christmas 2021 resulted in extended confinement to his room, limited communication, and loss of functional abilities including walking, feeding himself, and speaking. She described difficulties fulfilling her duties as Power of Attorney when denied entry and noted inconsistencies in policy enforcement, including unrestricted access after his death despite prior prohibitions. She concluded that caregiver separation caused severe harm to vulnerable seniors and argued that families should never be excluded from long-term care settings during health emergencies.