Temporary fix brings down heat at Dinsdale care home

A new air-conditioning system has been ordered for Dinsdale Personal Care Home in Brandon after the main dining room became so hot that some residents had to eat their meals in their rooms — and a complaint was filed with Workplace Health and Safety.

A Brandon man, whose 78-year-old mother has lived in the personal care home at 510 Sixth St. for the last five years, said in the last few weeks there were times when it was unbearable.

“It’s like coming down to an oven,” said the man, who didn’t want to be named because of possible reprisal against his mother.

Prairie Mountain Health confirmed that the air conditioning on the personal care home’s first floor is not functioning correctly, which has affected the residents’ common and dining areas as well as a staff area.

Portable cooling units were installed on the main floor last week to maintain acceptable temperatures, a spokesperson for the health region said.

“PMH staff, who are constantly monitoring internal air temperatures and air flow levels, have undertaken steps to keep the areas as cool as possible by using large fans on the main floor and closing blinds where appropriate,” the spokesperson said in an email to the Sun.

While the son said he is satisfied with the temporary fix on the main floor, the lack of air conditioning has been an ongoing problem.

“This is year two of not having working air conditioning on the main floor, and this is the day-to-day well being of the people they’re caring for, so it should be a priority,” the son said.

“Why didn’t they say, ‘We need to get this addressed in the spring, before the heat arrives?’ I think they need to be held to account on that.”

PMH said it has received funding approval from Shared Health to go ahead with installing a new return air system, including air conditioning, and is immediately moving forward.

“We anticipate that the system will be fully operational by next spring, May 2026,” PMH said.

The budget request was for $113,000, Shared Health confirmed with the Sun.

Before the portable units were brought into the personal care home, the son said there were times when the temperature was 29 C on the main floor, “plus humidity.”

“And what about the front-office staff? They’re suffering, too. There’s the recreation facility, the library and other people who have their offices on the main floor.

“Most people don’t know this, but 26 C is the high temperature when it starts to become a health and safety issue,” he said.

Temperature in a workplace is not specifically regulated, but employers must follow good practices to ensure a safe workplace, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

Each occupational health and safety jurisdiction in Canada includes a general duty clause in its legislation. The clause places a duty on the employer to ensure that the health and safety of the employees are protected while they are working.

The ideal temperature range should be between 20 and 26 C. Temperatures between 17 C and 20 C and above 26 C can be uncomfortable, the federal agency stated, and being in each of those extremes should not exceed one hour daily or 40 hours annually.

In the first five days of July, the temperatures ranged from 24 to 30 C, with humidity readings up to 91 per cent.

“When it’s this hot, it’s kind of an emergency. My mom just kept asking why it was taking so long to fix the air (conditioning),” the son said.

One of the staff members from Dinsdale PCH called Workplace Health and Safety earlier this month and an inspection crew responded, a government spokesperson confirmed with the Sun.

“Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) attended on July 3 to conduct an inspection in response to a tip regarding ventilation,” the spokesperson said in an email.

The air exchange operations were found to be sufficient at the time of the inspection, the spokesperson said, adding that three improvement orders were issued — two were related to lighting.

The third order was for thermal stress procedures, which means providing safe work procedures and control measures when a workplace puts a worker’s safety or health at risk because of heat or cold.

WSH said it is working with the health region’s leadership to make sure they comply.

Residents can choose where they wish to take their meals — in the main dining area or on their floors where the air conditioning is working.

“It sounds like they have a choice, but people aren’t comfortable when they come down and they don’t want to linger, so is that really a good choice?” the son said.

“When you can’t come down and congregate with others like you normally would, it’s tough,” he said.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

» enviromichele.bsky.social