Senior’s family pushes back against Fraser Health after she was left in hospital hallway
Posted November 17, 2023 7:26 am.
Last Updated November 17, 2023 9:54 am.
CityNews is following up on a story we first brought you about an elderly Abbotsford woman being left in a hospital hallway for nearly a week.
The 85-year-old’s ordeal first started in mid-October when she was rushed to Abbotsford Regional Hospital (ARH) with a serious infection.
Beverley Redmond’s family says it doesn’t know why, but she was transferred to an in-patient facility in Maple Ridge, only to be transferred back to Abbotsford when she was told she was too ill to remain in Maple Ridge.
The family added that staff at ARH were not prepared to receive her the second time and the senior was left in the hallway for five days. Her family says her bedsheets were dirty and her food tray was sometimes placed out of reach because of how crowded the halls were.
The Fraser Health Authority (FHA) tells CityNews, “While we cannot speak to the specifics of this case, generally speaking, we will only place a patient in an overflow space when they are more mobile and are expected to have a shorter length of stay in the hospital.”
“Patients who need a higher level of care are cared for in areas where we can support them as well as their families, such as private or semi-private rooms.”
Her family has taken issue with that, saying she didn’t meet that criteria. She wasn’t getting out of bed or walking and had been hospitalized for more than a month.
Redmond’s son Danny Bailey tells CityNews that she could barely sit upright without getting dizzy and could not eat as it hurt too much for her to swallow.
“Someone dropped the ball. The level of neglect… is beyond anything I have ever seen.”
Diana Brown, the woman’s daughter, says she’s followed up with Fraser Health, saying it was “blatantly obvious” their mother wasn’t well enough to be placed in the hall.
In a formal complaint to FHA, Brown says, “This level of callous indifference and incompetence is not likely an isolated case.”
After launching an official complaint earlier this week, the senior was moved to a more private area, however, after weeks of tests the family says it has yet to receive an official diagnosis and is not sure if she’ll ever recover — the next step is to ensure she’s comfortable.
If you would like to share your healthcare experience with us, please reach out to Sonia Aslam.
