The administrator of the John Noble Home has been relieved of his position as of Wednesday.
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Michael Bastian, who has been overseeing the construction of 40 new beds at the 156-bed facility, was seen being escorted from the long term care facility after a committee of management meeting Wednesday afternoon. sources told The Expositor.
“I can’t comment other than to say he was let go without cause,” said Brant County Coun. John McAlpine, the chair of the committee.
“Anna Gora is now the acting administrator and we have full confidence in her ability and background.”
Gora, a nurse practitioner, has been the director of care at the facility.
“She’s done an excellent job at home,” said McAlpine.
“We’re looking forward to working with her.”
Staff had been told Gora had resigned and her last day at the home was to be Friday but McAlpine said “after further discussions” Gora changed her mind.
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“She’s been working there quite a few years and wanted to continue on. She’s looking forward to this role and we have full confidence in her.”
McAlpine said the construction project is going well and the home is in good shape overall at this point.
“The ministry is very happy with how things are going.”
According to the Ministry of Long-term Care, the JNH was investigated four times last year after complaints or reportable incidents.
Investigators found parts of the home were too hot or too cold for residents; agency staff working in the home hadn’t been fully trained in the home’s protocols; and workers hadn’t been properly screened for tuberculosis.
Most serious, the home failed to ensure contract workers coming in from private agencies had valid police checks, according to the ministry.
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The investigation turned up evidence that two staffing agencies providing contract workers at the home had sent “multiple” workers with falsified vulnerable sector check (VSC) documents.
“The administrator said the home did not have a process in place to ensure staffing agency staff had valid VSC documents and relied on the staffing agency to ensure VSCs were completed,” says a report.
It also said the home hadn’t been keeping proper records on staff’s qualifications, previous employment or relevant experience.
The home was ordered by the ministry to correct its screening protocols for tuberculosis and to tighten the process for police checks and record-keeping.
During a follow-up visit at the end of October, those issues were found to have been resolved.
Bastian, who was appointed administrator in April 2022, could not be reached for comment. Bastian had replaced Jennifer Miller as administrator, who had been in the position for about six years.
Early in 2016, the City of Brantford and Brant County – which oversees the home jointly – were sued by former administrator Donna Michaels who claimed she was wrongfully dismissed in 2015. No information about the outcome of that suit was available.
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