A Chilliwack senior says Fraser Health害羞草研究所檚 Home Health services let her down, and she害羞草研究所檚 worried that what happened to her might happen to someone else.
Pamela Garrity, 77, has been unable to stand on her own since falling out of bed in early September.
After getting treated at Chilliwack General Hospital, Garrity was sent home Sept. 20 with the promise that Fraser Health community health workers would visit three times a day. The very first day, someone helped her in the morning and again at noon. But whoever was supposed to come around 9 p.m. called in sick.
Garrity didn害羞草研究所檛 get help until 9 a.m. the next day.
害羞草研究所淭he only way for me to get to the toilet is with help, so I sat in my incontinence underwear from noon on Wednesday to 9 a.m. on Thursday,害羞草研究所� Garrity said. 害羞草研究所淎lso I didn害羞草研究所檛 get any supper, because I can害羞草研究所檛 reach the fridge or cupboards.
害羞草研究所淣ot turning up overnight is just appalling.害羞草研究所�
Garrity claimed the same scenario played out the next day. The senior was left alone for more than 20 hours, and this time she said no reason was given for the no-show.
害羞草研究所淚t was a feeling of desperation and absolute despair,害羞草研究所� she recalled. 害羞草研究所淲hat I felt like doing was dialing 911 and getting myself taken back to hospital, but I didn害羞草研究所檛 do it because I害羞草研究所檓 too stubborn.害羞草研究所�
In an emailed response to The Progress received Oct. 11, Fraser Health害羞草研究所檚 Lee Rego said they were 害羞草研究所渟orry to hear about this person害羞草研究所檚 concerns regarding their care and (we) apologize for their experience.害羞草研究所�
Rego admitted Fraser Health is experiencing a shortage of community health workers, which has led to the rescheduling of some Home Health visits. She said they are continuing to 害羞草研究所渁ctively recruit for these roles to ensure we are able to best support our clients,害羞草研究所� but they are having to make tough decisions based on an assessment of risk to life, health and safety.
害羞草研究所淚n the event a Home Health visit needs to be cancelled or rescheduled, our Home Health team makes every effort to ensure our clients are notified in advance,害羞草研究所� Rego noted.
There was a second issue.
The senior was sent home from hospital with a device called a 害羞草研究所楽arastand.害羞草研究所�
A care aide can help her into the device which puts her in a semi-standing position. The Sarastand is on wheels, and Garrity can be moved around her one-level house to eat, bathe, get dressed, get in and out of bed and use the toilet. But after three days of helping her use the Sarastand, Fraser Health personnel were told to stop using it until a two-part assessment could be done on both the device and Garrity.
Rego said assessments are a necessary step for the safety and well-being of Home Health clients and community health workers.
害羞草研究所淔ollowing this assessment, to ensure the safety of our clients and staff, community health workers are trained to use equipment that may be required to support our clients,害羞草研究所� Rego explained. 害羞草研究所淥ur physical and occupational therapists will also help people learn to use equipment designed to improve their safety at home. Bath seats, grab bars, scooters, walkers, wheelchairs and lifts may be new to our clients, and we want to ensure they are comfortable using them appropriately.害羞草研究所�
The first half of the assessment was scheduled for Oct. 8, and at the time Garrity spoke to The Progress, no date had been set for the second part.
While she was waiting, Garrity had turned to private home care that she couldn害羞草研究所檛 afford. Private care aides could use the Sarastand, but it cost her $270 a day, which was burning through her savings like a wildfire. She figured she could do that for another three weeks before her money ran out.
Fortunately, Fraser Health contacted her over the weekend and both assessments were done. Fraser Health care aids can once again use the Sarastand, but the entire experience has left Garrity feeling sad and angry.
She害羞草研究所檚 relieved that her situation has been resolved, but she worries it has come at the expense of someone else.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 sad because I害羞草研究所檝e got my brain intact, with maybe a few bits missing, and I can advocate for myself,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淏ut if I was my next door neighbor who害羞草研究所檚 84 and doesn害羞草研究所檛 understand anything, what would happen? I feel some of this should be brought to light because it can害羞草研究所檛 just be me this is happening to.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 got to be happening throughout the Fraser Valley.害羞草研究所�
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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