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![\"MIKE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4432286_web1_230703-Tom-Landy-0041.jpg\")
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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
Tom Landy says the WRHA suggested he wear diapers when homecare is not around.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what they\u2019re here for, to take care of me, and now it feels like I\u2019m a burden,\u201d he said from his home in the Maples.<\/p>\n
Tom weighs 39 pounds and is physically disabled. He requires several position changes and transfers throughout the day, as well as suctioning of his mouth to prevent him from choking on saliva. He also uses a ventilator.<\/p>\n
One worker had been caring for Landy consistently for nearly 20 years and was considered \u201cpart of the family,\u201d but after a workplace injury in April, the WRHA opened an investigation and the worker was placed elsewhere. Landy says his care hasn\u2019t been the same since.<\/p>\n
Landy\u2019s father, Edward, carries him to his bedroom and washroom when needed, but says he can\u2019t continue doing it as he\u2019s getting older.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re trying their best to fill the shifts with the people that they have trained, but they need specific training for him because he is unique,\u201d Landy\u2019s father said. \u201cSo, like they can\u2019t just send in a regular worker.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family says they have a good relationship with all the workers, but Edward Landy says some simply don\u2019t have enough training or are intimidated by the level of care his son needs and refuse to work with him.<\/p>\n
During the hours homecare is not around, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority suggested Landy wear diapers, he says.<\/p>\n
To make matters worse, Landy has been waiting for a specialized wheelchair seat to regain some freedom.In 2023, the Free Press documented his lengthy wait for a motorized wheelchair, but the seat needs to be customized to fit his needs and keep him comfortable for long periods of time.<\/p>\n
Because of the gaps in his homecare, he had to miss the appointment to get the seat adjusted and doesn\u2019t know when he\u2019ll get another chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy condition is declining really fast. I worry that I won\u2019t get to see the wheelchair,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Correspondence between Landy and the province\u2019s health department viewed by the Free Press shows that a spokesperson told him changes to his care are made in accordance with workplace safety requirements, clinical assessments and established care practices.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson encouraged Landy to \u201ccontinue working directly with the WRHA.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey made it sound like I\u2019m too much work for homecare work and if a homecare worker can\u2019t look after me, then who can?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In an emailed statement, a WRHA spokesperson said if an employee believes their work constitutes a danger to their health, their safety or the safety of another person, they have a right to refuse work.<\/p>\n
Using the right to refuse is not a common occurrence, the spokesperson said, but when the process is initiated, the situation is investigated by occupational and environmental safety and health professionals and a resolution is put in place \u201cas soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cMr. Landy\u2019s case is very unique, and our care team continues to work closely with him and his family to develop a plan to support his care plan,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
A statement from Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara\u2019s office said it has \u201cengaged with Mr. Landy, his family, and the WRHA to support ongoing co-ordination around his care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manitoba doesn\u2019t have any organizations dedicated to advocating for homecare recipients, so the family is left to do it themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no one,\u201d Tom Landy said.<\/p>\n
nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Nicole Buffie Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College\u2019s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Multimedia producer
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