I just called April, the charge nurse at the Halifax Hospital Emergency Room. I wanted to let her know that my mom had been found, because she had been so kind when I spoke to her an hour ago. I didn’t want her to be keeping an eye out for my mom since she was apparently not headed for Halifax today.
I told April exactly what Susan, the Director of Nursing at Woodland Terrace, had told me: That the non-emergency transport had taken mom to Halifax but was told that the ER there was “in diversion”, so she was sent to Fish Memorial in Orange City.
April was aghast.
She said, “We haven’t diverted a patient in fifteen years,” and, “That is 100% not true.” She added, “I can bet my life on that.” She was quite clearly upset.
April asked for the name and number of the person who had told me that because she wanted to tell her it was “absurd” that Halifax would ever turn anyone away. She said that Halifax Hospital’s Emergency Room simply “does not divert” and that they never tell anyone a “wait time”, so she had no idea why anyone would have been saying there was a three or four hour wait anywhere. She said she was more offended than mad.
April told me that yes, sometimes there is a wait, but they are never “in diversion” and she was upset that anyone would tell a family member that.
I told April that I didn’t want her to yell at Susan at Woodland Terrace because they are, y’know, taking care of my mom and I didn’t want them to think I was a troublemaker or anything; that I was only calling April to let her know that my mom had been found and I wasn’t trying to stir the pot or anything like that.
She said, “I apologize, but [what they told you] was absolutely false. God forbid, if your mother ever has to return, we’d be happy to have her.”