Irène aubin

Irène Aubin and Dr. Nathalie Zan

At 81, I was living an active retiree’s life, full of plans. I really enjoyed keeping up my friendships. You could even say that happiness came naturally to me!

But in June 2021, my life took an unexpected turn. I had a minor stroke, but it left a big mark on my life. Whereas I used to love doing crosswords and reading, letters suddenly stopped making sense to me. And because I couldn't get around as easily as before, my independence took a hit.

Be care at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont

After the stroke, my children and husband supported me and were a great comfort to me. But in the background lurked an old troublemaker just waiting to pounce: my once well-controlled diabetes suddenly went haywire, to the point that I passed out.

They take me to HMR, where I was admitted to the Geriatric Acute Care Unit. Throughout my three-week hospital stay, I received support from a whole personal network of loved ones who came to care for me in ways the hospital could not. I had my own pillow, my own warm blankets, visitors... But that wasn’t the case for all the patients around me.

The health crisis made things difficult. Some resources, things as basic as easy access to a wheelchair, were sorely lacking. But in spite of these challenges and the means at its disposal, a caring and dedicated team took turns to make sure that my condition stabilized so that I could regain my strength and organize home care for after I was released. The staff was engaged and listened to me attentively.

With my story, my goal is to showcase the admirable work of the team from the HMR Geriatric Unit. But sadly, they are dealing with a critical shortage of basic resources.

Please join me in helping to improve care for the elderly patients at our hospital. By donating to the HMR Foundation’s Together for the HMR Fund, you’ll provide Dr. Zan and her team with access to all the resources they need to care for the elderly patients in our community.