Elderly Man Spends Weeks in Shower Room at Abbotsford Hospital

Patients in the hallway at Abbotsford Hospital. (Photo Credit: Contributed)

The BC Nurses' Union is calling for action for severe overcrowding at Abbotsford Hospital.

The union says that one of the elderly patients at the hospital has spent the past month being cared for in a small shower room, one that they say has no toilet or window. “Like many hospitals, it is overflowing with patients and has been for weeks,” say the BC Nurses Union about Abbotsford Hospital. “Many are lining the halls, including a pediatric psychiatric patient who, until recently, spent 106 hours in the hallway in Emergency.”

Hospital bed in a shower room at Abbotsford Hospital. (Photo Credit: Contributed)

The union says that on Wednesday, the Emergency Room was over capacity by 29 patients who were waiting for beds. They say that Mission Hospital also has extreme overcapacity.

“All patients, young and elderly deserve quality, safe patient care and clearly that is not happening at Abbotsford Hospital,” said Gayle Duteil, President of the BC Nurses' Union. “The health authority is legally required to hire more nurses, fill vacancies and replace nurses on leaves. Fraser Health must do that—now.”

Patient next to a nursing station in Abbotsford Hospital. (Photo Credit: Contributed)

“Surely the executives of Fraser Health want to provide safe patient care, not just for this one poor fellow stuck in the shower room, but all patients in the region.”

Fraser Health has responded to the union's complaints: “We’re sorry that this patient has spent a few weeks in this location,” reads a statement. “It’s unacceptable and not appropriate. This is not the type of care our patients should expect. His medical care has been good but the location is not ideal.”

“We are working on strategies to eliminate the use of these types of beds, and this is a priority for us.”