Southlake Regional Hospital, Newmarket
My father was rushed to this Hospital on July 22/13 because of a serious health problem he was transferred from Stephenson Memorial because his health issue was urgent. On July 23/13 my father went into surgery for 11 hours we also lost him a couple of times but after 11 hours of surgery and 35 days in Cardiac ICU my father was transferred from the 2rd floor to the 5th floor where we requested a family meeting so that we could request that he now be transferred to Toronto where his family was and where my father would be living when he got out of Hospital. We were told at that time that they had applied to Toronto at various Rehab Hospital and his application was refused because he never met their Criteria for admission the social worker Pat however did not explain what those were. They however suggested that my father be moved to their 3rd floor rehab unit which just happens to have a bed available and they would work with him and apply again in two weeks when he is what she said was a more desirable candidate.
We now find out that they never applied to any of these other Rehab Hospital in Toronto I found this out by fluke when the Toronto Rehab called my home because the Dr. who performed the surgery referred him to their weekend day program. I explained to them that my father was referred to their inpatient program and asked if she could confirm if he was be admitted at some point that’s when I was told that they never received a referral to have my father transferred. She offered to look into it for me and get back to me she kept her word and called me back in a couple of days and confirmed that no referral was made she gave me the name of the person to speak with at the rehab dept and they also confirmed that they never received a referral for my father if she had received one and refused his admission she would have kept record of that.
She asked me some questions about my father and informed me that since he was now in Rehab at Southlake that they would not allow him to come there he can be moved from one Rehab to another she said he would have been better for him to have moved there from the Acute care unit. I called Bridgepoint Health and was told that they also did not received a Referral from Southlake and that they also would not accept him since he started Rehab at Southlake. So my father fell through the cracks and was scammed by Southlake. We were told that they were going to work very hard with my father and that he would be getting rehab 3 times a day and we were encouraged no to come and visit him Monday to Friday so that he could rest since he was going to be too tired to have visitors we of course didn’t listen to them since we knew my father needed to have his family there and good thing we didn’t listen because they lied once again and only provided 1 hour a day of rehab and the remainder of the day my father was left in bed.
I filed a complaint with the manager of the Unit on 3rd floor because my father was being left sitting in Urine for long periods of time since then they have had a discharge planner calling me saying that they are moving my father to slow stream rehab for 2 weeks then sending him home my father is in no condition to be coming home the poor man can’t even sit up straight. My father has been receiving insulin for high blood sugar so we asked about his diabetes so we know how to treat him when he gets home that’s when we were told that he didn’t have diabetes necessarily that further test would be needed but this has not happened. So basically they are planning to discharge a man from Hospital before his is stable and refuse to transfer him to another Hospital but they have no problems sending him home before he is ready. I think they know if he goes to another Hospital they will find out they made some mistake and they don’t want that to happen.
The patient advocate is really no help at all she just keeps referring me to the managers and suggested I call back the discharge person named Christine Duffy so I tried calling her back telling her I don’t want my father moved to their slow stream I want him moved to Toronto that’s when I was told oh too bad he’s been moved now he’s not my problem anymore you can wait for your meeting on the 30th of Sept and complain to them and their discharge planning. When I told her I never agreed to that she said too bad I spoke with your father and he did so I said oh your spoke with a man who is hearing impaired and can’t speak and asked him and she said YUP and now he’s moved.
I am grateful to the Dr. who saved my father’s life and to the excellent care he received on the 2nd Floor but I am very unhappy with the care he has received on the 3rd floor and the lack care and Rehab and Social Worker I guess they had to fill the and didn’t care for what happens to my father as he heals. I wouldn’t put a Dog in this Hospital.