Saskatoon patient in hospital for 10 months leaves for family-managed care

After 10 months in a Saskatoon hospital, Cory Kadlec’s has officially been discharged.

Kadlec has been in the hospital since June 11, 2022, after he had a seizure, according to his sister Tara Jo Kadlec.

She told Global News that Cory has down syndrome, diabetes, celiac disease, stage 2 dementia, a thyroid issue and he also suffered a stroke in 2020.

Cory had originally been staying in a care home, but after his seizure, the home said they could not take him back from the hospital as they didn’t have the proper medial treatments.

According to his family, the only option the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and Ministry of Social Services (MSS) offered was a long-term care dementia ward.

Tara Jo said Cory does need access to round-the-clock care, not for his dementia, but, for his diabetes.

She said Cory’s mental health was deteriorating during his time in the hospital, and with the only option being a dementia ward, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

“We were tired of fighting something that was never going to go our way and it won’t go anybody’s way until there’s a system change,” Tara Jo said.

The decision was made to rent a three-bedroom home in Saskatoon, where Tara Jo, her sister and Cory could all live.

Tara Jo said the family will begin privately hiring people to help take care of Cory.

“We want him to relearn what it means to feel safe, to be able to trust, to feel joy, to relearn the things he always used to love and know that it’s not going to be taken away from him,” Tara Jo said when discussing Cory.

Tara Jo and her sister will help take care of Cory when service isn’t available.

In terms of funding, Tara Jo said SHA direct client will help with payments, along with Community Living Service Delivery (CLSD), and the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability program (SAID). Whatever cost is left over, will be paid by Cory’s family.

“For us to create a family-managed home, there is a lot of policies and procedures based on government and social services rules,” she explained. “We have to hire the staff, we have to create the day programming and our family doesn’t get paid for any of that.”

Now that he is out of the hospital, Tara Jo said both Cory and the family will have to take things one day at a time, as there has been a lot of grief and struggles over the last year, and this will be another big change.

“He can feel safe being who he is and how he’s feeling and not be scared or fearful or worried anymore,” she said.

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