The Minister of Health in Alberta defended the province's health authority after a high-needs elderly person who was expecting to be moved to a care home was transferred to a hotel.

Minister Adriana LaGrange said she was "very concerned" when asked by the media to explain in detail how Blair Kanif, 62, was transferred to a hotel south of Edmonton after spending months at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, where he was recovering from a stroke. Kanif uses a wheelchair and is paralyzed on his left side.

In early March, he said he was told he would be moved to a long-term care facility and was not given any other options.
He said that afterward, on March 4, he was put into a taxi that took him to a Travelodge hotel in Leduc, about 35 kilometers south of Edmonton.

LaGrange said Monday: "What I understand is that AHS [Alberta Health Services] followed their proper procedures. They discharged him to a non-profit provider and you have to ask the non-profit provider why they chose this location."

When pressed by the media about whether these guidelines were appropriate and the right thing to do, LaGrange again confirmed that AHS followed hospital discharge guidelines, where a team of healthcare workers works with an individual to determine the appropriate place to send the patient.

Kanif's family told the media last week they were concerned about his mobility issues and ability to care for himself, and said he was given fast food to eat.

After a week at the hotel, Kanif said he was taken back to the hospital on March 11 without explanation; he has since been readmitted.

Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon said his office is "definitely" investigating the situation.