Three weeks in limbo
Sylvia Heaven’s hospital hell is finally at an end now the DHB has tested her for Covid-19
Sylvia Heaven – almost blind and aged 93 – went into hospital for a simple skin graft, believing she’d be back at her rest home in four days or so.
Instead, she’s stayed there for three weeks, awaiting a coronavirus test that Hutt Hospital officials insisted she didn’t need.
She unwittingly got caught up in rules and regulations, between those of the Ministry of Health and those of her rest home.
Given Heaven’s age, risk profile and the fact people could be asymptomatic, the Shona McFarlane Retirement Village – her home since 2011 – would not have her back until she provided a negative test result for Covid-19.
But Hutt Valley District Health Board would not do the test – because she wasn’t showing any symptoms.
Heaven’s hospital doctor wanted to test her but was prevented from doing so, her caregiver and daughter Sandy Fea said.
The village GP also offered to don full PPE to carry out the test but hospital officials declined. ‘‘Rules are rules’’ was their stance.
Following Stuff’s repeated inquiries, Heaven was finally tested yesterday afternoon when hospital officials went against Ministry of Health advice.
Fea holds no resentment towards her mother’s retirement village but the same can’t be said for the Hutt Valley DHB.
‘‘They’re testing people at the supermarket who don’t have symptoms. So why can’t they test a patient in hospital so she could return to her rest home?
‘‘My mother has been in hospital three weeks more than she needed to; she’s gone downhill because she’s not getting the care that she would if I was around her,‘‘ Fea said.
‘‘She’s almost blind. She had a stroke about 15 years ago but she’s still able to get around . . . She’s got an incredibly sharp mind and everyone knows her.’’
Fea was able to speak to Heaven on the phone but was not able to visit. Video calls are pointless as Heaven can’t see. New Zealand Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace weighed in, labelling Heaven’s predicament ‘‘crazy’’.
‘‘It seems ridiculous that they won’t test our people who are the most vulnerable of all, yet they’ll test someone with a sniffle or a sore throat, and randomly test people in the community.’’
The DHB said yesterday it was following the ministry’s position in refusing the test, saying ‘‘asymptomatic people should not routinely be tested’’. It hoped to resolve the issue with aged-care providers in ‘‘the next few days’’.
But since then, Fea told Stuff her mother had been tested and was awaiting the results.
When approached, the DHB refused to confirm whether the test had been carried out.
‘‘In general terms, Covid-19 testing for asymptomatic patients is not part of our discharge planning process. Patients who are well, and do not meet the case definition for testing, should be able to return to their place of residence,’’ a spokeswoman said.
At yesterday’s Government press conference – before Heaven was tested – director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield reaffirmed the ministry’s position.
Ryman Healthcare believed its testing requirement of DHBs was ‘‘entirely appropriate’’, particularly as people with the virus may not display symptoms.
‘‘We know that older people are vulnerable to Covid-19, and that’s why we think the more we test, the safer our residents will be,’’ a company statement read.