Elderly relatives abandoned at hospital

Persons are abandoning their elderly relatives at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, creating a strenuous situation for caregivers there.{{more}}

Up to two weeks ago, half of the 30 beds at the male medical ward of the hospital were being occupied by patients that have been discharged, but with nowhere to go.

Three such patients have since died.

“Relatives bring the elderly patients when they are sick, and once they hear they have been discharged, they just don’t come back,” explained Departmental Sister Velna John.

Sister John explained that some of the abandoned elderly are people who have homes, but for one reason or the other, their relatives decide not to care for them.

She related an incident where a woman was left to die at the hospital, while her daughter and granddaughter lived in her house.

When SEARCHLIGHT visited the hospital, we saw seven patients in the male medical ward, who while they need care, are not considered sick, and have been discharged.

Five of them were unable to speak to us, and the other two declined interviews.

Nursing supervisor of the wards, Sister Wendy Trent, further explained that at times, a complicated juggling act has to be performed to keep up with admissions to the hospital.

“Some times we have wake up patients all hours of the night to send them up to a bed in male surgical, to make room for a patient being admitted,” she explained.

At times when space is really tight, the doctors have to be summoned to examine patients, so that those that can be discharged can be, so that space could be made for an incoming patient.

“It is sad. Some relatives of those abandoned, when you speak to them, simply say it is the hospital’s responsibility, they can’t afford to take care of their relatives,” Sister Trent explained.

She said that they work with the Family Services Division to see when a bed is made available at the Lewis Punnett Home by the death of a resident.

Sister Trent related another horror story where a lady fell and damaged herself on the eve of her 100th birthday and was admitted to hospital.

According to Sis Trent, this patient ended up dying at the hospital, abandoned by her family.

While saying that nurses will give care to every patient in the hospital, Sister Trent, however, said that more facilities need to be put in place to take care of these forsaken elderly persons.

“This is a hospital, not a home,” she said.

She said that the problem is not a new one, and has been an area of concern for years.

Meanwhile Chief Nursing Officer, Audrey Scott, has taken offence to these patients being referred to as “vagrants’ by a popular morning radio show host.

In a letter written in the local newspapers this week, Scott was very forceful in her defence of the patients, while reiterating the problem of abandonment.

“There are patients at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital who have been abandoned by relatives,” the top nurse said.

“It is not a policy of the Ministry of Health and the Environment to “throw” any one on the streets who find themselves homeless upon discharge, or those who may have been homeless before admission,” Sister Scott declared, adding “their continued stay until alternative arrangements can be made is an act of compassion; this demonstration of love, compassion and concern for human lives.”