A Chilliwack senior says Fraser Health鈥檚 Home Health services let her down, and she鈥檚 worried that what happened to her might happen to someone else.

Pamela Garrity, 77, has been unable to stand on her own since falling out of bed in early September.

After getting treated at Chilliwack General Hospital, Garrity was sent home Sept. 20 with the promise that Fraser Health community health workers would visit three times a day. The very first day, someone helped her in the morning and again at noon. But whoever was supposed to come around 9 p.m. called in sick.

Garrity didn鈥檛 get help until 9 a.m. the next day.

鈥淭he only way for me to get to the toilet is with help, so I sat in my incontinence underwear from noon on Wednesday to 9 a.m. on Thursday,鈥� Garrity said. 鈥淎lso I didn鈥檛 get any supper, because I can鈥檛 reach the fridge or cupboards.

鈥淣ot turning up overnight is just appalling.鈥�

Garrity claimed the same scenario played out the next day. The senior was left alone for more than 20 hours, and this time she said no reason was given for the no-show.

鈥淚t was a feeling of desperation and absolute despair,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淲hat I felt like doing was dialing 911 and getting myself taken back to hospital, but I didn鈥檛 do it because I鈥檓 too stubborn.鈥�

In an emailed response to The Progress received Oct. 11, Fraser Health鈥檚 Lee Rego said they were 鈥渟orry to hear about this person鈥檚 concerns regarding their care and (we) apologize for their experience.鈥�

Rego admitted Fraser Health is experiencing a shortage of community health workers, which has led to the rescheduling of some Home Health visits. She said they are continuing to 鈥渁ctively recruit for these roles to ensure we are able to best support our clients,鈥� but they are having to make tough decisions based on an assessment of risk to life, health and safety.

鈥淚n the event a Home Health visit needs to be cancelled or rescheduled, our Home Health team makes every effort to ensure our clients are notified in advance,鈥� Rego noted.

There was a second issue.

The senior was sent home from hospital with a device called a 鈥楽arastand.鈥�

A care aide can help her into the device which puts her in a semi-standing position. The Sarastand is on wheels, and Garrity can be moved around her one-level house to eat, bathe, get dressed, get in and out of bed and use the toilet. But after three days of helping her use the Sarastand, Fraser Health personnel were told to stop using it until a two-part assessment could be done on both the device and Garrity.

Rego said assessments are a necessary step for the safety and well-being of Home Health clients and community health workers.

鈥淔ollowing this assessment, to ensure the safety of our clients and staff, community health workers are trained to use equipment that may be required to support our clients,鈥� Rego explained. 鈥淥ur physical and occupational therapists will also help people learn to use equipment designed to improve their safety at home. Bath seats, grab bars, scooters, walkers, wheelchairs and lifts may be new to our clients, and we want to ensure they are comfortable using them appropriately.鈥�

The first half of the assessment was scheduled for Oct. 8, and at the time Garrity spoke to The Progress, no date had been set for the second part.

While she was waiting, Garrity had turned to private home care that she couldn鈥檛 afford. Private care aides could use the Sarastand, but it cost her $270 a day, which was burning through her savings like a wildfire. She figured she could do that for another three weeks before her money ran out.

Fortunately, Fraser Health contacted her over the weekend and both assessments were done. Fraser Health care aids can once again use the Sarastand, but the entire experience has left Garrity feeling sad and angry.

She鈥檚 relieved that her situation has been resolved, but she worries it has come at the expense of someone else.

鈥淚鈥檓 sad because I鈥檝e got my brain intact, with maybe a few bits missing, and I can advocate for myself,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut if I was my next door neighbor who鈥檚 84 and doesn鈥檛 understand anything, what would happen? I feel some of this should be brought to light because it can鈥檛 just be me this is happening to.

鈥淚t鈥檚 got to be happening throughout the Fraser Valley.鈥�

eric.welsh@theprogress.com
Like us on and follow us on .