MS patient stuck in hospital considering human rights complaint

An Ottawa woman unable to be discharged from a local hospital because of a shortage of personal support workers is considering a human rights complaint if she's not sent home in the new year.

Christine Benoit, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair,has been a patient at the Saint-Vincent Hospital since undergoing surgery for painful leg spasms in October 2017.

Despite being told five times since then that she's well enough to leave the hospital, she can't.

• 'Dire' home-care gap stranding discharge-ready patients in hospital

That's because there aren't enough personal support workers, orPSWs, to care for her at herKanataapartment.

"I had expected that once the stitches were out, that I would be able to return home," she said Christmas Eve, herroom adorned with a poinsietta and a small Christmas tree figurine.

"But that's nothow it worked."

Needs daily help

Before Benoit was admitted to the hospital,two PSWswould visit her Kanata homethree times a day to help with her daily routine, from getting out of bed and dressed in the morning to cooking dinner and getting back into bed at night.

The 44-year-oldsaid that recent modifications to her motorized chair mean that she could get by with only one PSW during each of those three shifts.

Still, nothing's changed.

"The story that I keep getting fed is that there's no personal support workers available," Benoit said.

"But I've had quite a few of them come in and say, 'I'm available.' So I don't know why, exactly, they're not able to fix it."

LHIN acknowleges'challenges'

Home-care services in the Ottawa-Gatineau area are overseen by the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

In a statement, CEOChantaleLeClerc said that privacy reasons prevented the LHIN from commenting on individual cases.

However, the LHIN is "experiencing challenges related to availability of personal support workers," she said.

LeClerc was unavailable for an interview this week to talk more about those challenges, but in November she told CBC News that she knew of at least six other patients in the same situation as Benoit.

The LHIN has pegged the daily cost ofBenoit'sbed at $563, while the daily cost of home care is just $28 per day although the level of careBenoitrequires would likely be more expensive.

'This environment is killing me'

If she'd been discharged before Christmas, Benoitsaid she would have spent the holidays with her "fairly close-knit" groupof neighbours and friends at her apartment complex.

Instead, she remains in her sparsely-decorated hospital room, one she's trying to keep that way so that it's easier to clean up once she's finally cleared to leave.

The minimalism isalso a subtle sign, she added, that she doesn't belong there.

"It's just depressing,"Benoitsaid. "Being stuck in this environment is killing me. I can see day-by-day that I'm deteriorating."

Benoit said she's told the LHIN she wants to be home by Jan. 17, in the hopes that a specific date will give them "enough time to arrange everything."

If it doesn't, Benoit said she's prepared to go further.

"I've also mentioned that this could possibly be a human rights issue which I will be exploring, if they don't get me out of here."