Surrey hospital discharged woman in medical need to Chilliwack shelter, says mayor

• Ailing 76-year-old woman was sent by taxi to Salvation Army shelter in early February, mayor says
• Staff at two different shelters were not equipped to care for the woman, he says, and he has since lost track of her
• Local MLA wants promise from health minister that this will never happen again
• Minister says capacity at hospitals is an issue

The mayor of Chilliwacksays a 76-year-old woman with mobility issues and incontinence was discharged from Surrey Memorial Hospital and sent by taxi to a homeless shelter in his city last month.

Mayor Ken Popove said thewoman arrived at the Salvation Army Feb. 2 with "significant health concerns" and was unable to clean herself. The woman's physical and mental health issues were too extreme for shelter staff to help her, the mayor said.

Popove's allegations are contained in a letter hewrote to Fraser Health Authority demanding answers and describing the events as "unacceptable."

"Our shelters here are full, our warming shelters are at capacity. This lady should not be in a warming centre, she should be in hospital," he wrote.

The issue wasraisedduring question period in the B.C. Legislature Thursday byChilliwack MLA John Martin who read out part of Popove's letter, which is addressed to Fraser Health president and CEO Dr. Victoria Lee.

Martin asked provincial Health Minister Adrian Dix to promise that such an event would never happen again. Dix replied thatthe capacity of hospitals is an issue, adding he'd be happy to meet with Popove.

Meanwhile, FraserHealth Authority said it received Popove'sletter Wednesday and is looking into the matter.

Popove's letter states the Salvation Army in Chilliwack couldn't accommodate the elderly woman due to sanitary and safety concerns. He said he learned of the case from rumours, but investigated the case himself before writing to the health authority.

The letter states that the womanwas moved Feb. 11 to a different temporary shelter run by Ruth and Naomi's Mission. Staff at the second shelter told Popove that they too were unable to care for her.

The woman chose to leavethe second shelterand returned to the Salvation Army. Popove saidhesaw the woman atone of the shelters, but has since lost track of her.

CoryBuettner, the community engagement manager atRuth andNaomi'sMission says he knows the woman in question.Buettner saidPopove'saccount was accurate and the elderly woman needed medical care.

Popove'sletter also cites another case of a man sent from Surrey Memorial to a Chilliwack shelter.In that instance, which occurred Feb. 22, Popove said the man was found to have wounds on his feet and said he needed to be at a hospital, not a shelter.

With files from Micki Cowan and Tanya Fletcher

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