"A lot of people are on their own, without family or a support network to help them," Diane admits. "We help them stay as independent as possible.”
Like John who took himself to the Emergency Room
with an excruciating pain in his side. Alone at the hospital, without family or an interpreter, John signed a form agreeing to surgery. All he knew was the surgery was life or death. He didn't understand what the surgery was for or what was wrong with him.
He was frustrated and very frightened. He thought he might be dying.
Luckily, someone recognized him and called Diane, his General Support Services (GSS) counsellor at CHS. "As soon as he saw me, John's eyes filled with tears of relief," Diane recalls.
He was so grateful he finally had someone he could communicate with.
It made all the difference in the world.