A3

By James Mallory

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Speak Up

A local health activist feels she's won her battle with the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst.

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James Mallory/Northern Light Photo

Marie (Marthe) Roy spoke about her battle against the co-habitation policy at the Chaleur Regional Hospital during the Sept. 29 public meeting of the Regional Health Authority A, held in Beresford. She also expressed her gratitude over improvements made in relation to the issue.

Since 2003, Marie (Marthe) Roy of Beresford has been fighting against a co-habitation policy that had men and women sharing rooms when there was not not enough space available in the general medical and surgical units of the hospital.

Mrs. Roy said the policy made her and many others feel uncomfortable but thanks to recent changes at the hospital, she can put her mind at ease.

"As of mid-September, (co-habitation) has gone down to 10 per cent," she said. "That is super, a job well done for them."

In 2003, the Chaleur Regional Hospital adopted a co-habitation policy to help cope with a shortage of beds. The shortage was caused by beds being filled by seniors awaiting nursing homes. At this time last year, the the Bathurst hospital indicated that 43 per cent of general medical beds were filled by these individuals.

However, last summer, the hospital seriously began looking at how to reduce the number of co-habitation occurrences. Deborah Gammon, director of nursing for the Chaleur hospital, said a new process was established to help curb co-habitation.

"The policy hasn't changed but there has been processes put into place in order that these patients can be moved the next day...When the patient is admitted, if the only available bed happens to be in a room with members of the opposite sex, that person will be admitted to that room if they are in agreement according to that policy."

Continued Mrs. Gammon: "The next morning when another room becomes available, there is a process where we transfer the patient out of that room. The end result is definitely a reduction in the percentage of the people that are having to remain in cohabitation."

Mrs. Gammon said the reorganization of the co-habitation policy has been aided along through a transfer team.

"(It was) organization and putting in a transfer team to move patients. It was just implemented this summer and it's a pilot at this time...(The pilot) would probably be for a three month period then we will do an assessment of the pilot and what the effects are and if they've been positive or not."

Mrs. Gammon said the restructuring aims at having the patient stay in co-habitation for a maximum of one day but space could still end up being an issue.

"We would hope. It still definitely depends on the patient population."

If a patient is completely against sharing a room with the opposite sex for any length of time, Mrs. Gammon said that person can refuse to be admitted and stay in the Emergency Room on a stretcher. She said they would then be transferred depending if there is an available room.

"And the rooms are awarded according to the patient's needs as well," she noted.

Mrs. Roy said now people can go to the hospital and not have to worry about being forced into co-habitation.

"I'm so happy. I'm not a person that is well...and many times I did not go to the hospital by fear of having to fight."

She added that some people don't mind co-habitation so the 10 per cent that still exists isn't a major concern.

"Ten per cent is fine by me because there's a lot of people that don't care, they don't mind...Out of 10 per cent rooms that are cohabitation, some people are happy to share rooms."

Mrs. Roy said her plight against co-habitation came down to respect of patients rights' and she's glad her message has been heard.

"We are human beings with virtues and principals and we want to be respected as such," she concluded.