Health chiefs have defended their decision to house a quadriplegic on a ward for geriatrics with mental conditions for 40 years, insisting that there was no other place for him until now.

And, the Bermuda Hospitals Board has also criticised the quality of care at Summerhaven, the charity-run residential home where Luke Caines is set to move.

Earlier this week The Royal Gazette revealed that BHB had finally agreed to transfer Mr Caines to Summerhaven from the hospital’s Continuing Care Unit — a facility full of aged and frail patients that has been Mr Caines’ home since his mother died when he was 14.

The coverage raised questions as to why Mr Caines had been detained there for so long, and why hospital bosses were now agreeing to his release.

The BHB had previously said that it received a $13,000-a-month Government subsidy for each CCU patient, but one concerned friend of Mr Caines who believed his care had cost the health authority far less, suggested that the BHB could have been making a profit while Mr Caines remained under its care.

And the head of Summerhaven, has estimated that the monthly bill for Mr Caines’ care will be between $6,000 and $7,000 — half the amount BHB was understood to have received from Government.

Government slashed the subsidy last year and also announced that the ageing facility was to be shut down within a few years. According to the BHB, that decision coincided with a request by Mr Caines for a transfer out of CCU, along with places suddenly becoming available at other facilities.

In a statement responding to this week’s Royal Gazette coverage of the case, the BHB refused to provide details of how much it was paid to care for Mr Caines, how much it spent caring for Mr Caines, or if it made a profit out of the arrangement.

But, it denied that it had “tried to keep Continuing Care Unit residents who would be better placed elsewhere for financial reasons”.

“This would be highly unethical,” the statement said.

“The assertion that Mr Caines has been kept on CCU when he could have been placed elsewhere is untrue, and the claim that this was to keep a CCU fee has no merit.”

The statement did provide a fuller explanation as to why the BHB now regards Summerhaven as a suitable option for Mr Caines to stay after rejecting an earlier offer of place for him there.

The charity’s chairman, John Powell, said that in 2010 he was told that Mr Caines could not be moved because he had become “institutionalised” after spending much of his life in hospital.

But in its latest statement, the BHB alleged that Summerhaven had not provided proper care for residents until recently.

“Up until recent times, Summerhaven did not provide the level of nursing and care services required for certain residents of CCU and, if families did not take responsibility for the family member, there were no other options,” the statement said.

“Summerhaven has provided more support over the last couple of years, so when a bed became available last year, and Mr Caines voiced his desire to move, BHB was entirely supportive.”

The statement added that Summerhaven came in and did an assessment and agreed Mr Caines could move.”

BHB last night also denied that the transfer of Mr Caines had anything to do with the impending closure of the CCU.

“BHB is committed to remain open as long as existing residents need a home, so, yes, the CCU could remain open with just a handful of patients indefinitely.

“Although BHB ceased new admissions, it has no intentions of making residents leave.”

Mr Powell had earlier said he believed that Mr Caines’ transfer had been prompted by the CCU’s expected shutdown.

He said he first became aware of the move after he was approached by a hospital social worker earlier this year who had a list of four CCU patients — including Mr Caines — that the BHB wanted to move on. In the latest statement, the BHB failed to comment on Mr Powell’s claims, but it did amend earlier explanations by the BHB of how it learned that Mr Caines wanted to move.

Previously, the BHB had claimed that, although Mr Caines had complained publicly about his care at the CCU for several years, it had been unaware that the long-term patient had wanted to move until he made a formal request for a transfer last year.

However, in its latest statement the BHB claimed it had meetings with each patient twice a year to discuss issues.

“Annual or twice-a-year family meetings are arranged for each resident to discuss their care and look at options,” the statement said.

Last night, Mr Powell could not be contacted to discuss his views on BHB’s criticisms of Summerhaven.

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