‘Very short-sighted’: Nova Scotia hospitals phasing out patient bedside telephone service

A landline phone is pictured in this file photo.

Bedside telephone service is being phased out of hospitals in Nova Scotia, according to a news release from Nova Scotia Health.

The changes are set to begin May 31, though disconnection dates may vary by site.

To stay in touch with family and friends while in the hospital, the province now encourages patients to bring a cellphone or other device with charging equipment.

For advocates in the community, the decision is a step-back for accessibility.

“My first thought was, ‘oh no, this is another blow to people who really need services the most,’” says Jennifer Benoit, board member of the Nova Scotia Health Coalition.

She points to patients in rural communities with less cellphone service, seniors and patients with declining cognitive functions as those adversely affected by the change.

“If you put somebody in a hospital and their cognitive function has declined, they may recognize a phone ringing at their bedside, but they may never understand what’s going on with a cellphone.”

Bill VanGorder, board member of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), echoes this sentiment. He says he’s surprised the decision was made without any consultation.

“This is the first that we’ve heard about it, and it’s very short-sighted.”

Like Benoit, he emphasizes the many seniors who don’t use smartphones.

“In fact, our surveys show about 25 per cent of seniors still do not have access to the internet, let alone having a cellphone. So, they’re going to be cut off in the hospital,” he says.

He also notes there are more seniors in hospitals than any other age group, and they’re more likely to be isolated by the choice to remove the phones.

“In what condition would you have people in that you would want them to have that kind of isolation forced on them?” he asks.

“If you’re going to put people into hospitals where they’re already stressed and then give them the extra isolation of not being able to talk by phone with family and friends, that’s inhuman. That’s really taking the seniors dignity away.”

Nova Scotia Health says the service is being discontinued due to aging infrastructure and low demand.

For VanGorder and Benoit, it’s a sign of the times, but they propose modern alternatives.

“Technology has come so far and we’re phasing out all kinds of things that we normally would have depended on in the past,” says Benoit.

“We’re not talking about payphones on the streets that we’re walking in, we’re talking about a hospital where people need to be able to communicate with their families and feel comforted and supported.”

She and VanGorder suggest an option where patients can opt-in to the bedside telephone service.

VanGorder notes there are landline services that operate on networks and don’t need to be hard-wired in patients’ rooms.

“it’s unfair to just cut it off with no solution,” says Benoit. “We need to make sure that our hospital services and our Nova Scotia Health services are inclusive.”

With files from CTV’s Callum Smith

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