A 64-year-old patient spent more than a day lying on the floor in front of an Ottawa hospital after leaving the mental health unit where she had been staying and falling, according to her daughter.
Christina Hajjar said her mother was discharged from Montfort Hospital last week “wearing only a dress and slippers”. It was about 27 hours before police found the woman, her daughter said.
Hajjar asked her mother what she had done during those long hours, waiting for them to find out.
“She said, ‘I prayed and I cried and I prayed and I cried and when I couldn’t cry anymore, I thought I was going to die there.’
TARGET | The patient spends more than 24 hours injured on the ground:
The patient spent more than 24 hours injured on the ground after disappearing from the hospital
Christina Hajjar says her 64-year-old mother spent 27 hours outside in a summer dress and sneakers after leaving the Montfort Hospital mental health unit on Friday. Police found her lying on the ground near the hospital, where she had fallen.
Found near the hospital
Hajjar first learned that her mother had left the hospital when staff called her around 2pm on June 10 to report that she had left and had not returned.
The hospital told him they were looking for his mother, but only later did Hajjar learn that he had disappeared about five hours earlier.
Hajjar was unable to help with the search because he lives in Brampton, Ontario, and had tested positive for COVID-19, he said.
Once the sun set on Friday, however, Hajjar decided to call the Ottawa police. Then, when he woke up on Saturday without news, he reported the disappearance of his mother.
Hajjar, who lives in Brampton, Ontario, says his mother was only wearing a dress and slippers when she spent Friday night outside. (Provided by Christina Hajjar)
Ottawa police confirmed they received a call shortly after 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning about a 64-year-old woman missing from a Montreal Road hospital.
Police found the woman “near the hospital” at 12:12 p.m., and she underwent a health check by paramedics, according to police.
Hospital “very worried” about the disappearance
A Montfort spokesman said the hospital was “very concerned” and apologized to the patient and her family. CBC does not name the woman to protect her privacy.
The hospital is also conducting an internal investigation, according to an emailed statement.
“It is crucial for us to understand what has happened and to review everything that can be done to prevent this kind of situation from happening again,” the statement said.
The hospital’s missing patient policy states that staff first search the person’s unit and other departments, including enclosed areas, and then hospital grounds, the spokesman added.
The spokesman did not say whether the hospital contacted police in this case, where exactly the woman was found and why she was not detected when staff searched the grounds, saying the information was part of internal research.
Montfort Hospital says it is conducting an internal investigation to prevent similar situations in the future. (Hugo Belanger / CBC)
The mother’s mental state is “fragile” after the test
Paige Lennox, general manager of Canadian Health Advocates Inc., who has been a registered nurse for 28 years, said she would have contacted police if someone had disappeared while receiving care at her unit.
“I’m a little surprised that the hospital hasn’t played a more active role in their research,” said Lennox, whose company helps people navigate the healthcare system.
He described the situation as “worrying” because it is especially important for staff to keep track of vulnerable patients, such as those in a mental health room.
Hajjar said his mother was admitted to hospital on May 21, but was never discharged. Hajjar has since spoken to Montfort officials and said he believes the hospital is taking the issue seriously.
However, the incident has had a major impact on her mother.
“It has made his mental state much more fragile,” he said. “She’s worse. Point.”