John Urbaniak of Piscataway, N.J., should try to look on the bright side. He can always say goodbye to his nonagenarian grandfather the next the man dies. Oh, wait….
Urbaniak and his mother had rushed to Robert Wood John University Hospital in New Brunswick on Nov. 23 after receiving a phone call notifying them that 93-year-old Angelo Romeo was nearing the end.
But when they arrived, they were stopped by a security guard who read them the riot act for entering the facility through an “out” door.
Urbaniak tried to explain that time was of the essence, shouting, “My grandfather’s dying! We just got a call,” but the guard was intent on finishing his lecture. By the time Urbaniak and his mother reached Romeo’s room, the old man was gone. He had died alone.
Urbaniak, 33, who is in public relations, has since taken to Facebook and Twitter to vent. “They just don’t treat people right,” he told NJ.com. “They really need to revise their security policies — and at least have some empathy and compassion.”
Meantime, more than a week has passed since the incident and the family is still waiting to hear from the hospital’s Patient Advocacy personnel. The hospital did release a statement promising an “exhaustive” review of the events to determine if changes to its security policies are needed. It will also determine if security staff should undergo “enhanced training.”
