B.C. hospital discharged 78-year-old wheelchair user to Downtown Eastside shelter without telling family
Emails showed Fraser Health believed Elizabeth Davis had secured a place in a Surrey independent-living program, though a warning provided to hospital staff by her daughter confirmed that information was incorrect. Hours later, Davis texted her family to say she was alone at a Downtown Eastside shelter.
The family of a vulnerable 78-year-old woman is demanding answers after a B.C. hospital discharged her to a shelter in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside without notifying her relatives.
A report in The Province explains how Elizabeth Davis was released from Royal Columbian Hospital on Aug. 18 before she was then taken to a shelter near Main and Hastings streets, according to her family.
Davis suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, has difficulty breathing and uses a wheelchair. She was taken by ambulance to St. Paul’s Hospital later that same night after experiencing breathing problems.
Her grandson, Nathan Davis, said the family was “heartbroken and angry” when they learned where she had been sent.
“We were never told that she had been discharged there or would be discharged there,” he told Postmedia.
Davis had been evicted from her New Westminster residence while receiving hospital treatment. Her family says she requires full-time care but cannot afford a private facility.
Emails provided to Postmedia show Fraser Health believed Davis had secured a place in a Surrey independent-living program costing approximately $2,000 per month. Her daughter immediately warned hospital staff that the information was incorrect and that Davis could not afford the placement.
Fraser Health acknowledged the warning and said she would be discharged once a suitable space was located. Hours later, Davis texted her family to say she was alone in a Downtown Eastside shelter with only a cubicle and bed.
Alice Kendall, executive director of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, said hospitals routinely send vulnerable seniors to shelters despite repeated objections from community organizations.
“It’s the dumping ground is what it is, and it’s outrageous,” Kendall said.
Fraser Health declined to discuss Davis’s case, citing privacy, but said patients without homes or family support may be directed toward shelters or transitional housing.
Davis is now receiving care at Ridge Meadows Hospital while her family searches for a long-term care placement.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
https://mybook.to/sheila
COMMENTS
-
Fran g commented 2026-09-10 16:08:03 -0400I stopped calling it healthcare a long time ago. It truly is “sickcare” -
Ruth Bard commented 2026-09-08 22:08:43 -0400Socialized healthcare: caring and compassionate, eh? Boy I hope I die in my bed. Or, for that matter, anywhere other than a hospital.
-
Bruce Atchison commented 2026-09-08 21:27:15 -0400“Rules is rules,” eh? Bureaucrats don’t care about us peasants. They have their directives and nothing else matters.
