Cathy Noël had to leave her two daughters, aged seven and nine, at the entrance to the Tracadie hospital on Easter Sunday. They couldn’t kiss their great-grandmother. Facility staff prohibit children under 12 from visiting patients.
Cathy Noël’s grandmother is 94 years old and has been waiting for a place in a nursing home for six months at the Tracadie hospital. To please him, his granddaughter wanted to visit him on Easter Day with her children aged seven and nine.
“Because of COVID-19, I hadn’t tried to take my girls before. I knew the rules were strict with the mask and everything, says Ms. Noël. I had made one or two requests, but was told that under 12, visitors were prohibited, unless by special request.
The 30-year-old believed that Vitalité had relaxed its rules since the staff at the Tracadie hospital stopped ordering her to wear a mask at the entrance to the establishment. Especially since the health network indicates that children under 14 are welcome accompanied by an adult inside its establishments in the visitor’s guide on its website.
Sanitary rules
“Restrictions on visits are still in effect in our establishments due to COVID-19, however, declares the Vitalité communication department, by email. The objective is to better control patient visits in order to reduce the number of people on site and limit the transmission of the virus.
He notes that only children 12 and older, accompanied by an adult, can meet with patients. He adds that exceptions can be granted on a case-by-case basis for patients at the end of life or in critical condition.
Under the “visiting hours” tab of its website, Vitalité indicates that restrictions still apply because of COVID-19.
“These are unfair rules, judge Cathy Noël. I was able to see my grandmother without a mask. I don’t understand why a nine-year-old girl couldn’t see her great-grandmother to bring her chocolate, a card, stick it up and give her a kiss.”
sad nonagenarian
The resident of Tracadie also underlines the sadness of her grandmother.
“She is waiting for a place in a nursing home by herself, sitting in a bed. It would have been happiness for her to see her granddaughters. It’s been a while since she’s seen them and she was really close to the children, because she stayed in the house next to ours.”
Ms. Noël points out that the Vitalité Health Network itself considers family members to be essential for the health of hospitalized persons.
“The network recognizes that some patients need support during their hospital stay and it is important for their well-being that they have a loved one by their side. This is why the network allows the presence of designated support people and general visitors under certain conditions, ”writes the communication department of the management.
Ms. Noël believes that Vitalité should make its regulations more flexible and communicate them more consistently on its website and in its hospitals.
Just under 400 seniors were waiting for a nursing home spot at a New Brunswick hospital in February, according to the Coalition for the Rights of Seniors and Nursing Home Residents.
A senior suffers from a significant decrease in physical mobility and mental well-being within days of being admitted to a hospital, according to New Brunswick’s Aging Strategy.
