4 ~ Friday, January 5, 1996 — North Shore News Family questions LG MIKE EHLY’S grandmother entered Lions Gate Hospiud the night of Nov. LO with badly bruised ribs. a cracked pelvis. and a lacerated forehead, By lan Noble News Reporter 2s Spink, 82. had been ini dent. hours later at 2 a.m. on nd against the family’s wishes. an ambulance delivered her to the family’s home. She was placed in the care of Liz Ehly, Mike Ehly’s moth- er. She had also been in the car ace dent and was “very shaken up." sai Mike Unable to even sit up in bed. never mind use the toilet, she was wheeled in on a stretcher and turned over to my mother to cure for” Ehly said of his grandmother in a spleen- venting Nov. 17 letter to hospital president Bob Smith. “Tfind it appalling that an elderly woman would not be kept overnight for observation. “Are budgetary cutbacks affecting our medicare systems that much? Or was there a major error made.. The answer is still up in the air. a Nov, 23 letter to Ehly said he would refer Mike’s letter to Stew Madill. vice-president of med- ical and diagnostic services at Lions Gate. and Lynette Best, vice-presi- dent of nursing and patient care ser- vices. On Wednesday. Madill told the News he would prefer not to com- ment on the situution at this time. He tid he's reviewed the cuse but did aol have all the information at his fingertip ill suid he would need to talk to the individuals involved. He added complaints are usually dealt with quickly. ceasionally drop the ball in following up on these, and aren't a timely as we would like to be.” he said. “I need to find out exactly what occurted.” Mike and Liz Ehiy related the ‘outer patient release Car crash fallout a rough ride difticulties thes and other famils members faced in aking care of Spink. Liz, a 49-year-old: cashier. said she arrived home from Lions Gute tate Now. 10 to be told that her moth- er would soon be joining her even though her daughter had asked the hospital to care for Spink. Liz's responsibilities included ing Spink’s bedpan every few hours, feeding her meals. making her confortable at night. sitting her up, and providing medicine to con- trol the pain, Emergency home-care workers arrived the next day. and pros ided ‘four hours of help cach day for the month Spink was at the Ehlys’. Workers bathed Spink and were a great help, but it, wisn t enough, Mi id. “T think they should have kept her in hospital.” Liz said she was exhausted by the experienc She took time off «ork to care for eb Mg oS 1199 LYNN VALLEY her mother, and still doesn’t know af shell Jose her paycheque for that time. She's pegetaue ath ICBC over the issue, While Laz Spink suffered a cor high fever. Fannly and friends pitched into assist home-care workers, Liz said. “The only reason were doing this (going public) is to help another ily that doesn "h want te go thro! this.” Liz sind. She believes the hospital should have allowed her a few days to pre- pare for her mother’s arrival cather than release Spank for home care on the night of the accident. month following the accident, Spink was adsmitted to Lions Gate Hospital for surgery scheduled prior to the accident. Spink died tn hospi- tal on Dee. 28, canwhile N ing with M discuss the cumpl ed tor her mother, ested chest and AdiH set-up a meet- iy on Thursday to a an A LEGEND ON ROBSON STREET IS CLOS! —e A te — & ae _ v» RD. NORTH VANCOUVE aw