Red Oak Retirement Residence had 445 violations last year, the highest of any Ottawa facility.

Last year was a bad time to be in a retirement home. Health and safety violations have doubled in the past five years, marking 2015 as the worst year yet, according to the City of Ottawa.

The violations included improper preparation of food, high acid content in drinking water and improper handling of chemicals.

Municipal and provincial inspections identified a total of 1276 violations at Ottawa’s 80 homes last year alone.

Inspections are required by the Retirement Homes Act a minimum of every three years. The act, passed in 2010, ensures cleanliness standards and care of residents in the 700 retirement facilities in Ontario.

Inspections are usually triggered by tenant complaints.

“If we receive a complaint we will conduct a follow-up,” said Michael Jacoby, a spokesperson for the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority. “If we find the Act is not being followed, we have the authority to revoke licenses.”

Each home must apply for a license to qualify to house a portion of the 40,000 Ontarian seniors currently living in retirement facilities.

Ottawa Public Health shares responsibility with the RHRA to conduct routine investigations and respond to complaints. The city requires a minimum of one inspection every four months, according to Eric Leclair at Ottawa Public Health.

“Most places are willing and eager to hear recommendations on how they can do better,” he added.

An aging Canadian population

The number of Canadians aged 65 or older reached about five million in 2011, according to Statistics Canada. Seniors are expected to outnumber children by next year and will comprise about 25 per cent of the population by 2036.

Less than 10 per cent of those aged 65-69 live in retirement residences, but that number jumps up to 26 per cent after they turn 85.

The booming rates of pensioners will soon need housing and despite the high numbers of violations, many have no other options than a retirement residence.

Living with loved ones isn’t always possible. If you tally up just the cost of nurses visits, suitable food and medication, amounts can quickly reach more than $5,000 per month. The average month’s rent at a retirement home is about $3,000.

Questions of cleanliness

Of all the retirement homes with infractions, one particular Ottawa dwelling surpassed the rest.

Red Oak Retirement Residence has had the highest number of failed inspections for almost five years straight, more than double the next highest home.

A third of those violations dealt with unsafe pH balances in the water. When the pH is off, the water can become acidic and leach metals from the pipe into the supply. The affected drinking water can cause seizures and hearing loss.

“Large industries often have more rigorous inspections,” explained Brian Bruni, general manager of Red Oak. “But I’m disappointed with even one infraction.”

Bruni said that all incidents of violations have been addressed, and that he accepts responsibility for the scrutiny the retirement industry is facing.

The water safety and the other misdemeanors Ottawa’s homes are guilty of violate the RHA, which states that tenants have the right to live in a clean and safe environment. Infractions can lead to fines, revoking of operation licenses and in extreme cases, prosecution.

But Jacoby said that legal action is rare.

“What I can say is that the majority of licensees are compliant with the Act,” he said.

While inspection violations have been dropping in 2016, many residences are continuing to show increasing numbers of failed inspections.