A Vancouver Island family is speaking out about a painful wait for hospice care.
Tracey Stodgell said David Matthews, her father, is terminally ill.
He was diagnosed with Leukemia in April and the family has been waiting months for him to access a hospice bed.
“There’s a waitlist but there’s no beds available so we basically have to wait for someone to pass away,” Stodgell said.
The other alternative, the family in Courtenay, B.C. was told, is the hospital emergency room.
The situation is frustrating and difficult, and they feel helpless.
Coverage of hospice care on Globalnews.ca:
Stodgell said she quit her job in Metro Vancouver and moved to the island to help her mom look after her dad.
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They said he’s bed-bound as of a few weeks ago and requires 24-hour care.
“Sometimes he’ll wake up with hallucinations.”
Stodgell said she and her mom take shifts sleeping beside David; they have home care twice daily but are still exhausted.
“Not only do I have to worry about my dad but one day my mom is not going to be here and I worry about what’s going to happen with her in this situation,” Stodgell said.
The average wait for a hospice bed varies based on need and availability, Island Health said.
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“There is an admission panel that reviews admissions to ensure appropriate individuals and families with the most urgent needs for care are given priority,” the authority said in a statement to Global News.
“It is important to note that end-of-life care is about much more than beds. It includes a range of primary, enhanced and complex end-of-life programs and services.”
Stodgell said the hospice bed backlog is an issue the province must address immediately.
“Will I have to struggle and fight for [my mom] as well? Not only her but other people that live here in this community,” she said.
According to the Ministry of Health, there are currently 57 end-of-life beds on Vancouver Island and 10 new hospice beds will be added on the island during this budget year and next.
In a statement, a ministry spokesperson said, “demand in the region may be outstripping supply… The ministry will be reaching out to the Matthews family about their situation.”
For its part, Island Health said it is and will continue working with the Matthews family to ensure they receive the support that’s needed.
But with only four hospice beds in the Comox Valley, Stodgell is worried it may be too late by the time help arrives.
“This shouldn’t be happening… this is Canada,” Stodgell said.
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