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The wife of Fredericton-area man who recently moved into a nursing home says he is in a much better situation after being in hospital for over a year.
In an interview with CBC Radio’s Information Morning Fredericton last September, Nancy Anderson shared the story of her husband, Doug Forbes, who, at the time, had spent the previous 15 months between the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton and the Oromocto Hospital.
Forbes has Lewy body dementia, which requires care and supervision. The form of dementia has symptoms including loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, and changes in mood, behaviour and communication abilities.
The couple received some good news in October. Forbes was moved into a nursing home, and Anderson said the positive change was been stark.
Horizon said in February that 40 per cent of its beds are taken by alternative-level-of-care patients. (Shutterstock)
“We all could tell he was being taken care of and the staff were bright and cheery and they were there for him,” said Anderson in a follow-up interview this week.
“The nursing home has been fantastic.”
Life in hospitals
Forbes’s extended time in hospital took quite a toll on him, according to Anderson.
She estimated her husband lost about 65 pounds in hospital, but he gained 25 back after being placed in a nursing home.
LISTEN | Nursing home update:
Information Morning – Fredericton16:54Nursing home update
We revisit a story we carried in the fall to find out what happened to Doug Forbes of Fredericton and his family. He was in a transitional unit in Oromocto waiting for a nursing home bed for more than a year. Colleen Kitts-Goguen spoke to Nancy Anderson, Doug’s wife.
She said his colour is better and his demeanor has improved as well.
“The doctor when she had her first visit with him … she called me and she said, ‘what is all this stuff in the report about aggression?’ And she said, ‘the man I just saw is quite docile,’” said Anderson.
ALC patients
While Forbes may finally be in a nursing home, the number of alternative-level-of-care patients in Horizon hospitals continues to be an issue.
On Feb. 12, Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson told the legislature’s public accounts committee ALC patients take up 40 per cent of beds in the health authority.
Melanson told the committee the same thing last October, but she said “we really haven’t seen marked improvement at all.”
Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson said the health authority hasn’t “seen marked improvement at all” when it comes to alternative-level-of-care patients taking up hospital beds. (Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Livestream)
Anderson said she was surprised how many people have approached her after the interview and told her their stories of loved ones waiting for placements in nursing homes.
“I’ve got a lot of feedback about the interview and I’ve heard from people right across the country,” said Anderson.
“I didn’t expect that.”
Anderson said she’s heard several instances of people waiting over a year for a nursing home bed, causing health problems not only for the patient but for caregivers as well.
“This person has reached a point where they’re not no longer able to advocate because it’s affecting their health so badly,” said Anderson.