Don Winstone is the life-stabilizing power of Donna, the wife of dementia. He is the one she looks for when she feels uncomfortable with her.
When Donna rushed to Grace Hospital with a diagnosis of COVID-19, the family was convinced that the caretaker Don needed to be by her.
Visits to COVID-19 patients are generally prohibited, but there are exceptions. However, when Donna was transferred to Seven Oaks Hospital a few days later after his health improved, his family could not persuade him to enter the facility.
“They have the power to give exemptions, like Grace. [Hospital] But they chose not to exercise it. “
“I think it’s unreasonable for them to deny access to someone who is very vulnerable. If I were there, it would be comforting to her.”
Some hospitals said “yes” and some said “no”
According to Winstones, there were two stories of treating visitors with COVID-positive patients at two hospitals.
The standard protocol in Manitoba healthcare facilities is to deny direct visits to patients who have or are suspected of having COVID-19, which patients need, says Shared Health.
At Grace Hospital, field leaders were initially reluctant to accept Donna’s primary care provider, but they did not forgive after hearing a petition from Don and Donna’s eldest son, Brent. ..
In an interview at his parents’ house in Winnipeg’s Walsley district, Brent Winstone said of the unit manager, “She realized that my mom needed a lot of care.”
“At that time, she needed someone to feed her, she needed two to get in and out of bed. She can’t communicate.”
Donna’s care needs are available 24 hours a day. Her home care is processed up to 56 hours a week and her husband is there for the rest of the time.
Don knew his wife’s request, so he pushed him to be there for his wife. He wanted to provide one-on-one support that hospital staff thought were too busy to provide. He told me to follow all health and safety protocols to prevent infection with COVID-19. He has already been vaccinated with triple vaccination.
He was welcomed by Grace, but not at Seven Oaks. He heard from staff at the latter facility that his wife did not sleep well most nights. On one virtual visit, she seemed to be doing well, but Don says it was just a snapshot of time.
“I’m just worried that she’s being taken care of. It’s a big worry that her basic needs aren’t met.”
There is a difference between the two hospitals. In both cases, Donna was isolated from other patients because she was COVID positive, but at Seven Oaks her unit was declared to have COVID, so patients with or without COVID gained visitors. did not do it.
Brent said the Seven Oaks leadership had come up with a workaround — take the mother home — but Brent said it was unreasonable to arrange home care within a day. .. Donna had no visitors until Sunday after 10 days of the required quarantine.
“The best thing we can hope for is that my mother doesn’t fully understand what’s going on right now, and at least sometimes she’s not upset,” Brent said last week. Said in an interview. You can rest assured with a familiar face.
The family is currently discussing putting Donna in the first available bed in a personal care home.
It’s getting harder and harder for Don to take care of his wife. Especially because he has recovered from his stroke eight months ago.
The Winnipeg Community Health Department, which operates Seven Oaks Hospital and Grace Hospital, did not talk about specific family cases for privacy reasons, but said, “The relationship with the client and the care team are in close contact with the family. , Patients. “
A spokeswoman said it was up to the family to devise home care support after a patient supported through WRHA’s self-and-family managed care program was discharged. The family confirmed that Donna participated in this program.
Brent said the family only praised Seven Oaks health care workers, but wanted management to be as compassionate as Grace’s respondents.
This ordeal gave Don the opportunity to speak for his wife, a former school teacher who found happiness by singing and playing the piano in a choir for 53 years.
“I encourage others in similar situations to try the system,” he said. “Sometimes it doesn’t work in the best interests of the patient.”
