Lions Gate Hospital discharge angers senior's family
Family says 91-year-old Margaret Hansen visited ER three times before being admitted
A Vancouver man wants to know why it took multiple emergency room visits and threats of legal action to get his 91-year-old mother's sudden paralysis taken seriously.
Tom Hansen's mother, Margaret Hansen, went to the Lions Gate Hospital's emergency room in North Vancouver repeatedly with complaints related to sudden immobility.
He says staff discharged her twice without getting to the root of the problem and on the third visit, Hansen says his family threatened to sue if she was discharged again.
Hansen says his mother is now "totally immobile" and he says the way seniors are treated in B.C.'s Health Care system is a "disgrace."
Hospital defends care
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority disagrees with Hansen's account. Spokeswoman Anna Marie D'Angelo says Margaret Hansen only visited the hospital's emergency room twice.
"We sympathize with family members that are dealing with loved ones in declining health and we know this can be difficult and stressful," D'Angelo says.
"Without going into details about the care we can assure the family that this patient is being provided excellent care. We're doing all that we can to meet her complex health challenges."