CJAD 800 News has learned that veterans at the Ste Anne's Hospital are being moved to other parts of the institution starting next week and family members are concerned about the impact on their well-being.
In a letter sent to family obtained by CJAD 800 News, health officials say there's a need to move the remaining veterans from the 9th floor because of the many vacant beds there and bed closures in the rest of the hospital as more and more civilian patients are being admitted.
Carol Morrison, whose father is staying at the hospital, told CJAD 800 News that she's concerned because they won't be moved as a group and they won't be accompanied by their medical caregivers.
"For some of these people who have been in the same room for ten years or more, this is very stressful," said Morrison, who got in contact with CJAD 800 News via yourstory@cjad.com.
A longtime nurse at the hospital who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity said veterans' health and well-being could be at risk.
"When you've been spending four, five, six, seven years with the same patients, you get to know those patients. You know when he doesn't eat, you know when something doesn't look right," said the nurse.
"I think ultimately they're not going to eat and it's going to escalate and at the end, some of them are probably going to die."
The hospital was transferred from federal to provincial jurisdiction in April. Morrison said she feels veterans are being shoved aside during a transition they were told would take two years.
Morrison and other family members said they feel the whole process is being rushed without consultation. She said a meeting yesterday for family members with hospital officials did not ease their concerns.
"When we were told initially that nothing was going to change, it looks like we're being the ones who are going through the greatest change because definitely the public is benefiting from this facility," said Morrison.
Morrison's father has been at the hospital for three years. The WWII veteran turns 101 next month when he'll be transferred to another floor.
"I feel very fortunate that he is in this facility but I don't want him to end his days just being a number and not treated as a person," said Morrison.
In a statement, the health agency in charge of the hospital said they understand it's not easy for veterans to be transferred but that they are taking the necessary time to do the move right.
It said that since 2009, 33 beds had to be closed because of the declining number of veterans. As of November 24, there were 53 vacant beds in the hospital. The agency said it was necessary to convert the veterans' ward to accomodate the growing number of civilian patients. It added that to keep the remaining 27 ninth floor veterans together, they would have had to displace even more veterans.
The agency said that the medical staff will remain in place for the necessary period during the transfer which is exactly the same as it was before the Quebec government took control of the hospital.
The agency said they evaluated the needs of the veterans to ensure they'd move to the proper ward.