Dollard-Des-Ormeaux resident David Robichaud says his 78-year-old father’s condition has worsened since first being admitted to the Jewish General Hospital almost two months ago.
“The longer he’s in there, I think, the more he’s going to get other infections,” said Robichaud.
His father, Roger Robichaud, who is deaf and blind and lives with him, would wake up in the morning and make his own coffee and porridge before settling into his daily routine.
On Dec. 1, after witnessing abnormal behaviour, the son called 9-1-1.
“He had a bladder infection. The bladder infection eventually started causing brain confusion,” he said.
The ambulance took Robert to the Jewish General Hospital. Medical professionals drained his bladder, but claimed he also had pneumonia, which extended his stay.
When David tried to visit, he was told he must quarantine seven days prior because his wife is an orderly at Maimonides Geriatric Centre, a long-term care facility in Côte Saint-Luc.
“We were very upset. Obviously, my wife was extremely upset,” he said, adding that after the seven days were up he was allowed to visit, but not his wife.
From then on, David claims there were a number of problems with his father’s care.
When he visited his father, he told him he was starving. David found out he hadn’t eaten for two to three days.
“We found out that nobody was feeding him. Being a blind individual he didn’t know that the food was there. By the time someone would tell him, the food was already gone,” David said.
Since being admitted, he claims his father has lost 24 pounds, dropping from 114 pounds to a mere 90.
When his father’s hearing aid went missing, a nurse told David that patients lose items every day and they cannot be responsible. He understands hospitals are burdened by the pandemic, but was sad to have been treated with what he says was a lack of care or understanding.
“Some nurses were very nice and helpful, while others were very passive — very, very passive.”
Deemed too weak to return home, his father was transferred to the LaSalle Hospital for rehabilitation in early January. Then, on Sunday, he was taken back to the Jewish General Hospital when his condition declined.
Throughout his two-month hospitalization, David says he’s spoken to just one doctor about his father’s health. He claims when he calls the hospital for updates, they go unanswered and unreturned.
“I have no clue what his situation is, what he’s being treated for anymore. I really don’t know,” David said. “He’s not in jail. He’s in a hospital.”
Patients’ Rights Advocate Paul Brunet says it takes just one person to pick up the phone and call. He says it doesn’t even need to be a doctor, it could just be an orderly.
“If you communicate you lower the stress, you lower the tension and guess what? You render families less critical about the system.”
David and his wife are considering pulling him out because he worries his father might not make it if he remains in hospital.
“The longer he’s in there, I think the more he’s going to get other infections.”
A spokesperson for the hospital refused to comment on the situation.
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