The CEO of Fraser Health has responded to a shocking incident where a 90-year-old visually impaired woman was sent home in a cab at 1:30 in the morning in her pajamas.
Vivian Fitzpatrick was discharged at 1:30 a.m. from the Delta Hospital last week.
Staff ordered a taxi and woke up Fitzpatrick’s in-home caregiver to let her know she was coming home.
Fitzpatrick says the only thing the hospital gave her was a pair of slippers and a single white sheet to keep her warm on the rainy night.
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Her ordeal got worse during the cab ride.
“I felt something wet in my arm, and thought I must have gotten something wet in the rain,” said Fitzpatrick.
But it turned out it was blood spilling out from where hospital staff had put the intravenous.
Staff apologized, and Fitzpatrick’s family filed a complaint with the Patient Care Quality Office.
Fraser Health CEO Dr. Nigel Murray issued a statement Wednesday, saying it’s important that hospitals discharge elderly patients as soon as they are medically cleared, as hospitals are busy and potentially dangerous places.
He says the process to discharge a patient is taken very seriously.
Murray says the incident illustrates the need for better communication.
” I have personally reviewed the circumstances of this particular case and can confirm appropriate clinical decisions were made. However, we also recognize that the care experience was not a positive one for this individual, and we have apologized for this. This issue serves as a reminder of the importance of clear communication between health care providers, patients, families, and caregivers. “
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