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durhamregion.com 6 The Citizen August 24, 2017 Sabrina byrneS / Metroland WHITBY -- Wendy Murdoch is a retired trauma counsellor who has been working with Durham Regional Police to help an 84-year-old homeless Durham woman with mental health issues and who is chronically homeless. Murdoch is frustrated that Lakeridge Health has at least twice released the senior when she had no specific place to live. Over the years, she has used all of the different agencies and the services in Durham, and because of her behaviours, they're not able to cope with her, and ultimately she's asked " In the spring, the senior fell and broke her hip and underwent surgery at Lakeridge. When she was due to the dis- charged, the hospital connected her with the John Howard Society, who suggested accommodation options including a one-bedroom apartment that was available. "Gwen's response was, 'I'll take the one bedroom, looks good' and off everybody went happy as a lark without all the documents being signed and her proof address, the hospital released her," said Murdoch. But she never took the apartment. Instead, Gwen went back onto the streets and continued to move around, bouncing between places to stay, sometimes not finding a proper bed. "When I asked about her ankles being swollen, she says 'It's because I didn't have any place to lie down for three days,'" said Murdoch. Recently, the senior was offered a place to stay by a Bowmanville couple, but after the couple could no longer cope with her behaviour, they contacted police. The police called Murdoch as she was listed as a contact in Gwen's file. Determined to get her off the streets, Murdoch applied to a justice of the peace to have Gwen apprehended by police under the Mental Health Act and taken to Lakeridge Health for an assessment. She was brought to the hospital on July 17 but released within two days. Now, Murdoch says she doesn't know where Gwen is, though she was reportedly last seen in Newcastle. Murdoch is frustrated because she doesn't believe Gwen received a full assessment. Lesley Bovie, a spokesperson for Lakeridge Health, said she couldn't speak about the specific case due to privacy reason, but in general spoke about the hospital's discharge policy. She said a physician determines when a patient is medically cleared for discharge and the care team meets with the patient and family to discuss options for leaving the hospital. "Ensuring a smooth transition includes looking for community support, if required, to help people move back to their home and/or other housing choices which can include various other care facilities as an example," said Bovie. "We also work with them to make sure that any community supports they may need are available. Ultimately, the patient or the patient's substitute decision maker decide what's most appropriate for them." Meanwhile, Murdoch has been in touch with Gwen's sons, who do not have power of attorney over their mother. "As loving sons, they're not able to provide her with the care that she needs because her illness gets in the way," explains Murdoch, adding she doesn't believe Gwen would be successful in a traditional seniors facility. She's determined to get Gwen off the street. "Over the years, she has used all of the different agencies and the services in Durham, and because of her behaviours, they're not able to cope with her, and ultimately she's asked to leave and on some occasions the police have had to remove her." Now, she's hoping that the she'll be referred to the geriatric psychiatry unit at Ontario Shores. The facility requires a referral from a hospital, long term care facilities, family physician or specialist and self-referrals are not accepted. She's hoping that the next time Gwen ends up at Lakeridge, the hospital will refer her. "I believe there would be an opportunity to do a full assessment, to have a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan … it's unclear at this point that she would ever be able to live on her own." At the end of the day, Murdoch said there has to be a better option than allowing an 84-year-old woman to continue to live on the streets. Plight of homeless senior stirs Brooklin woman to action From Page 1