Senior abandoned by husband at hospital
Elaine Flemming has been at South Shore Regional Hospital since July 2
Elaine Flemming and her husband celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary with dinner at the Chester golf course.
Less than a week later, Flemming was admitted to the South Shore Regional Hospital, where her husband told her she wouldn’t be coming home because their marriage was over.
That was July 2.
Since then, Flemming, 73, has been stranded at the Bridgewater hospital with nowhere to go.
Dave Irwin, Flemming’s brother-in-law, said he spoke with Flemming’s husband shortly after she was admitted to the hospital.
“Her husband basically told us that she had dementia and couldn’t do anything for herself anymore, so he left her at the hospital,” Irwin said.
“My wife Reanne talks to Elaine two or three times a day. I talk to her every day. She’s no more demented than I am.”
Flemming’s husband has since changed his phone number and blocked Flemming and her relatives on Facebook.
The Chronicle Herald tried to contact Flemming's husband by phone and email, but were unsuccessful.
Flemming is cleared to be discharged from the hospital, Irwin said.
“I was OK a couple of days after I was admitted," Flemming said.
"The only reason I’m not (out) is because where would I go? I have no home anymore."
Flemming has been working with a social worker to find housing, but hasn’t had any success.
With a monthly income of $838.31, Flemming can’t afford most apartments in Chester and living with her daughter or three sons isn’t an option due to distance and space issues.
Reanne Corkum, Flemming’s sister who lives in Ontario, said Flemming moving out of the province isn’t an option as she has multiple specialists for her health issues, including kidney cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Mary Jane Hampton, a healthcare consultant, said family members dropping off a spouse, child or relative “happens more often than you’d think.”
“I would suspect that each year we are into the double digits in Nova Scotia of this happening,” Hampton said.
“What is common across all of these stories is that something happens that the family who has been doing their best to cope hits a tipping point and they believe they have absolutely no other alternatives other than to abandon a family member into the health or community services system.”
Carla Adams, NSHA spokeswoman, said “some patients do remain in hospital for extended periods, beyond the point they still require hospital care, as we work with patients and appropriate community supports to enable them to leave the hospital.”
Krista Higdon, spokeswoman for the Department of Municipal Affairs, said people looking for help with housing can call 211 or fill out an application for their regional housing authority office. There are also government-funded agencies and programs, including public housing programs, to support people in communities.
While Higdon couldn’t speak to Flemming’s case, she said the department is “happy to connect with this person or anyone to whom we can offer support.”
As Flemming approaches six months in the hospital, Corkum said she doesn't know who else to call.
“I’ve called the hospital, I’ve called MPs in Nova Scotia, you name it, I’ve called them and I am not going to stop, even if I have to call God himself,” Corkum said.
Bernadette Jordan, MP for South Shore-St. Margarets, called Corkum Nov. 25 to let her know while Flemming’s case is a provincial matter, she would have her team reach out for help.
But as the days drag on, Flemming doesn’t know when she’ll find a place to call home.
“Some nights I wake up with tears running down my face,” Flemming said.
“It gets a little lonely looking out the same window with nowhere to go.”