Dad of B.C. man who died after leaving psychiatric hospital asks why care team didn’t involve family – CBC
Aaron Sanio’s father says 8 calls to North Vancouver’s HOpe Centre weren’t returned
Jan 19, 2023
Aaron Sanio’s friends and family say he was always open and honest about his struggles with mental illness — and about his commitment to getting better.
“He was fully aware of how ill he was, and he shared that with me. He used to say, ‘Dad, I would rather you know everything,'” the 30-year-old B.C. man’s father, Michael Sanio, told CBC News.
But, he continued, “Aaron did not want to die, I can tell you that.”
Despite that expressed desire to stay alive, Aaron died by suicide on June 15, 2021, just days after being released from involuntary care in the HOpe Centre at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. His father says he was not informed Aaron was being discharged.
Family and friends of the Squamish entrepreneur are now speaking out about what they see as a failure of a policy meant to ensure relatives are included whenever possible if their loved ones are hospitalized during a mental health crisis.
