Cancer Patient Storage

2025-01-30T09:30:00.001-05:00

A recent story about a cancer patient confined to a storage room in a hospital reminded me of my father’s death, especially since the patient had about the same age as my father when he died: 56a.

This story was first on Global News, with the victim, and on City News and concerns a hospital in Alberta.

“I cried,” it was “like being kept in captivity.”

That’s how Rose Roll of Taber described her stay at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge after she says she was moved to a bed in a storage closet.

Roll claims she was also forced to find her own bedding, food, water from a vending machine and had to use a public washroom.

“Inmates get treated better,” said Roll in an interview with Global News.

“At least inmates get a toilet, sink and are treated with dignity.”

She was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 19 so she could be closely watched while undergoing a new form of cancer treatment, which she claims can cause serious side effects.

Roll said she was in “a decent room” for the first five days.

She says her stay took a turn when she was told by staff that someone sicker needed that room.

“Some people refer to it as the closet, some staff refer to it as the tub room, and some referred to it as the den or the storage room.”

“I was really shocked,” said Roll, describing it as dusty, dimly lit and isolated.

“They said if I had to go to the bathroom, I could go across the hall and use the washroom that belongs to the two male residents. But it was a busy room and we had a COVID outbreak on our floor — I really didn’t feel comfortable going in there.

“It got to the point where I was angry and I said, ‘I’m going to go home,’ and they said, ‘no, that’s not in your best interest, you need to be monitored.’ And I was thinking, ‘Really?’ Because I’m not feeling like I’m being monitored.”

Discharged a day later, Roll shared her experience and photos of the storage room on social media.

“We apologize to this patient for their experience at Chinook Regional Hospital,” said Alberta Health Services in a statement to Global News.

“In response to their concerns, we have removed the shelving unit and cleaned the room to enhance comfort and privacy. A washroom is located directly opposite the patient’s room, and meals are provided to all patients, regardless of their room location,” the statement added.

“Over-capacity spaces are commonly utilized during periods of high demand to maintain patient care standards.

Other news from Alberta: overcapacity on Oct 9, 2024 and man with cut off braids on Dec 10, 2024

Sources / More info: gn, cn

Andrei for Valeriu Z: #patient care, #healthcare, #canadian healthcare, #overcapacity, #overcrowding, #patient rights, #ethics, #bioethics (Tags)

HRH at Finch

2023-03-13T19:30:00.001-04:00

The hospital where my father died was closed, then reopened. At the time of his death, it was called “Humber River Finch Hospital” but now it’s become “Reactivation Care Center at the former Humber River Hospital Finch Site”.

The photo was sourced from the Health Care Relocations website (hcrmvs), which states:

The Humber River Hospital’s former location at Finch Avenue was reopened after closure as a Reactivation Care Center due to the increasing local need and patient volumes. The Reactivation Care Centre is a collaborative and innovative approach designed to help patients who no longer need acute care services, but often find themselves waiting for an alternate care facility, such as a convalescent or long-term care facility. Each of the five participating hospitals, Humber River Hospital, North York General Hospital, Southlake Regional Health Centre, Mackenzie Health and Markham Stouffville Hospital, occupy their own 30-bed unit of the Reactivation Care Centre and treat their own Alternate Level of Care patients with their own clinical staff.

A while back, when this site was still a full hospital, my father had been brought there. I was not allowed inside, stopped by men with guns at the entrance, while my stepmother, who had caused the commotion, was allowed. I was still denied entry despite showing my Power of Attorney (made with a lawyer). After repeated attempts and having made several phone calls, I gained entry, finding my father restrained to his bed, with an oxygen mask and fighting to talk to me. He couldn’t and was slowly killed over the next couple of days.

The Finch hospital was first closed and moved to the Wilson location in 2015, only to be reopened after reorganization in 2018.

Sources / More info: gm-rccfs, gm-profbldng, hrh, wiki-Thosp, hcrmvs, rccf, wbut-hrr, tc-hrhf, tgm-baum

Andrei for Valeriu Z: #euthanasia, #mercy killing, #hospital, #hospitals, #healthcare, #sanatate, #spital, #hrfh, #finch, #north york (Tags)

Valeriu Zodian

Cancer Patient Storage

HRH at Finch