For Seana Veinot, having her 88-year-old mother admitted to the QEII hospital in Halifax was stressful enough, but to have her mother’s possessions stolen while she was asleep made the experience even worse.
“So a vulnerable, late 80s lady being asleep…. It’s very disconcerting to know that that could be a target. And that makes you feel like nobody is safe,” she said.
From Veinot’s understanding, her mother, Betty, had her bag with her prescription glasses, wallet and photos stolen while admitted from the ER on May 29.
She said the theft has added stress and taken time out of their lives as they cancel bank cards and replace other ID cards.
While there has been a small cost to replace some of the items, it’s not the monetary value that’s important for the family.
“It was not an expensive bag. It wouldn’t be something that you would look to target as somebody who has money or a fancy designer bag and wallet,” Veinot said.
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“The things that can’t be replaced are the sentimental items. And it’s sad to see the effect that has had on mom because of the sentimental value.”
She said the situation has left her mother feeling unsafe and upset.
The security director for Nova Scotia Health, Dean Stienburg, told Global News that while the prevalence of thefts is cyclical, there isn’t a rash of thefts “currently.”
He encourages patients and visitors to report any incidents.
He added that theft prevention in hospitals focuses on controlling access, having cameras installed and increasing security presence in buildings.
“Often, these are reaches of opportunity. They’re people who come in, see an opportunity to grab something and they take that,” he said.
“So, if we can mitigate that, we can give them less opportunities where things like that can occur.”
Veinot made a Facebook post about the theft in hopes others will keep an eye out for the missing bag and sentimental photos. She also warned others to keep valuables at home and to make copies of important documents if heading to the hospital.
“Our expectations are pretty low based on what we’ve experienced so far, other than the nurses on the floor being sympathetic to us. We’ve not heard back from any hospital,” she said.
She said the theft is an “added layer” to an already difficult time as her mother deals with health issues.
“It’s very sad to see this happening in Halifax and also for my mom, who was a public health nurse and served the community,” she said.
“To have this happen to her, it is very sad.”
Halifax Regional Police declined to speak on the incident but encouraged everyone to report thefts, even if they are not confident their items will be returned.
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