'She will die': Dementia patient, 87, facing move from hometown for long-term care
Ryan Cooke | CBC News | Posted: April 25, 2017 10:02 PM | Last Updated: April 26, 2017
Bridget Hogan is being moved to New-Wes-Valley, 125 kilometres from her family
After raising seven children, dementia is slowly stripping memories of family and friends from Bridget Hogan.
Unfortunately, she will soon need to rely on those memories more often.
The 87-year-old is being moved from Gander to the nearest available long-term care facility — 125 kilometres away in New-Wes-Valley.
"She won't last 24 hours," said her daughter, Bertha Pollett, from a hospital room in Gander.
"The feeling is she will die out there," adds Tony Norman, Hogan's son-in-law.
Hogan has a number of health issues including macular degeneration, which has left her blind in one eye.
She went to the James Paton Memorial hospital on Dec. 16 after suffering a heart attack.
When she no longer required constant medical supervision, she was discharged but remained in hospital on a waiting list for long-term care.
According to Central Health, that list has 89 names. It said on average, people wait 90 days for a bed.
Imperfect process, family says
Hogan chose Lakeside Homes, a 102-bed facility in her hometown of Gander, as her first choice for care.
But no bed was available there, so she was put in a queue for the next available bed in the Central Health coverage area, which goes from Baie Verte to Harbour Breton, Buchans to Fogo Island.
This week, the family received word Hogan would be moved to New-Wes-Valley.
"She's 87 years old, a pioneer in Gander, who raised her family here and has contributed to society," Norman said. "And you're moving her an hour and 37 minutes to an area where the family cannot easily get to."
"This is truly a life or death situation," Norman said. "She will go out there and she will die."
In a video supplied by the family, Hogan can be seen sobbing.
"I'm just crying," she said. "I don't want to go nowhere else. If I can't stay here I'm going to stay home."
She will go out there and she will die. - Tony Norman
Since December, Hogan's family has been in to see her every day. They worry that won't be possible anymore.
"She'll be happy to see [her children] and then totally depressed when they leave," Norman said. "The move makes no sense."
The family has been appealing to social workers and Central Health administration to reverse the decision.
On Monday, the move was nixed when Hogan complained of chest pains. It was rescheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, but delayed again as the family sought alternatives.
Only 11 beds added in 2 years
A 2015 review of long-term care in the central region, done by EY Consulting, showed a need for 118 new long-term care beds by 2017.
To date, Central Health has added 11.
The health authority is working with the provincial government to add more, said communications director Gaitane Villeneuve, and is also working to help families provide care in their homes.
In the 2017 budget, the provincial government allotted $4.6 million to increase long-term care capacity, to be shared by Central Health and Western Health.
It is still unclear how the money will be divided, but a portion will be used to construct a new 120-bed facility in Corner Brook.