Brain injury victim finally moves to specialized care facility

An Ottawa man who suffered a traumatic brain injury more than four years ago that left him confused and unable to form new memories has moved to an assisted living facility, his partner says.

Shawn Hill, a former chef and well-known member of the city's music scene, was found unconscious three blocks from his home early one morning in August 2018.

It's unclear what happened, but it's likely Hill fractured his skull in a fall while returning home from a friend's bachelor party. The injury caused extensive bleeding and Hill had several seizures and a stroke before stabilizing.

Since the incident, CBC has been following the saga of Hill, now 46, and his partner, Melissa Acheson, as she's tried to find him full-time care that's appropriate for someone with his kind of impairments.

After spending months in a secure hospital ward, Hill was transferred in late 2019 to the Extendicare West End Villa, a long-term care facility with no supports targeted specifically at brain injury patients.

Last week, Acheson said a space had opened up at a new four-bed assisted living facility run by the Vista Centre in Plantagenet, Ont., roughly 60 kilometres east of downtown Ottawa.

Hill had been attending one of the Vista Centre's day programs, Acheson said, so they knew of his plight and offered him a spot.

"I got really overwhelmed and emotional during the tour," Acheson told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

"I actually never thought there would be anything better for him. Because when I put him on these waiting lists, all of the people I spoke with said the wait lists are 10 to 20 years long."

Wait times 'outrageous'

The Vista Centre focuses on rehabilitation, something Hill hasn't had in the three years he's spent in long-term care, Acheson said.

"The hope is that it will [help him improve]. But it kind of remains to be seen," said Acheson. "Without changing the setting, we don't know if he has the capability to get any better."

There are more than three times as many Ontarians with acquired brain injuries — which include injuries caused by blunt force trauma, as in Hill's case, and those resulting from medical conditions like a stroke — than there are available beds in a specialized facility, said Ontario Brain Injury Association CEO Ruth Wilcock. 

While the average wait is roughly five to 15 years, even a four-year wait for specialized care is "outrageous," Wilcock said.

That means brain injury patients often end up in long-term care homes, which aren't designed for younger patients and lack the proper kind of therapists.

"When you actually have people working one-on-one, there certainly is a much better chance of improvement than somebody who is in long-term care where there's a minimal amount of stimulation," Wilcock said.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to funding," she added. "There's just not enough spaces available for the need." 

Stuck in 'purgatory'

While Hill still has his long-term memory, Acheson says he'll forget when she and their son Levi visit 15 minutes after they walk out the door.

That's made those visits incredibly difficult on both of them, Acheson said.

While she feels guilty they don't visit more often, it's partly assuaged by the fact Hill is set to get the care he should have received right after his 2018 injury.

"Shawn has been in this purgatory. He's not really living. He's just kind of stuck. And that has been the hardest part [for us], being stuck in this state of grief without any kind of closure," Acheson said.

"This is the closest that our family will get to this closure — to know that we've done our best to get him the support that he needs, and it's actually happening. And there's hope for him to have a happy life."