1/3 of hospital patients are waiting for long term care, Horizon CEO says

The head of Horizon Health Network says they're making progress to improve wait times at their four emergency departments, but there's much work yet to be done, particularly when it comes to people waiting in hospital for long term care. A total of 542 people are currently waiting in Horizon hospitals for nursing home or special care home beds, said interim president and CEO Margaret Melanson.

This is more than previous years, according to Melanson, and represents 33 per cent of Horizon's total inpatient beds, or one in three. Horizon's four regional hospitals have an average overall occupancy level of 106 per cent, she said. The national benchmark is 85 per cent. "This creates an entire pressure on our system down to and including the emergency department in terms of our overall hospital capacity to care for newly admitted acute care patients," Melanson told reporters during a media update via Zoom Friday, following complaints of filthy and overflowing ERs over the holidays and diverted ambulance s earlier this week.

Why hospitals aren't good for those awaiting long term care: health authority 3 hours ago Duration 1:08 Horizon Health CEO Margaret Melanson says there are 542 seniors waiting for long term care in hospitals, taking up 33 per cent of patient beds. Patients who are treated in the emergency and require admission for acute care services must remain in the ER until an inpatient bed is available, which means longer wait times for people with non urgent medical issues.

While this is always an extra busy time of year because of the rise in respiratory illnesses, this year has been "especially trying," said Melanson, noting about 10,000 staff worked more than 350,000 hours over the holidays, many of those in the ERs. Wait times are stabilizing to pre holidays levels, she said, but staff and physicians "remain extremely busy caring for a high volume of sick patients." Strategies implemented Some of the steps Horizon has taken to improve wait times and capacity at its hospitals include: At the Dr.

Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton, which continues to see a high number of admissions from the ER due to respiratory illnesses, up to 20 a day, 12 beds have been added by moving some ambulatory care clinics to Oromocto Public Hospital, and by moving maternity outpatient clinics to another location within Chalmers, said Melanson.

Horizon also plans to add an extra day at the Fredericton Urgent Treatment Centre in early February. At the Moncton Hospital , 24 new beds have been opened . "These beds are being placed wherever we can find space, including non traditional care settings in the hospital," Horizon spokesperson Kris McDavid told CBC.

He declined to provide examples, but Horizon has previously used supply rooms at other hospitals. In addition, some patients who come to the ER with influenza like illness symptoms have been redirected to an outside clinic for care. At Saint John Regional Hospital, the discharge of some patients has been accelerated or admission has been avoided "by identifying and providing appropriate and timely services," Melanson said.

She did not elaborate. At Miramichi Regional Hospital , the opening of new nursing home beds in the community has helped with the discharge of some patients, she said. "In short, we are doing everything in our power in collaboration with a number of our partners to help improve the performance and functionality of our provincial system." 'Truly a critical level' Horizon is also encouraged by initial work on collaborative initiatives with the departments of Health and Social Development as well as the extramural program that will prioritize moving patients from hospitals to nursing and special care homes and increasing the availability of community resources, said Melanson.

She acknowledged to CBC that the waiting time in hospital for long term care beds has been a longstanding issue, but contends it has now reached "what is truly a critical level. "I believe that that has now been brought to the attention of our Department of Health and Social Development. And I believe that they recognize now more than ever that action needs to be taken as expeditiously as possible." Creating greater capacity in communities for long term care needs to be a priority to free up hospital beds and sustain the acute care system, said Melanson.

(Evan Mitsui/CBC) "Up until the last several months, we have been coping as a system. And I would say now our ability to continue to do that is reducing because of the greater needs of the acute care system. And I believe that's been prompting now a level of action and focus that perhaps was not there previously." The Department of Social Development did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Melanson did not say what the initiatives being worked on include, but did confirm Horizon does not have the same powers it did in the early months of the pandemic to move people to a nursing home or special care home bed outside of their home communities. "We cannot at this time force the patient to accept a long term care placement." Instead, Horizon "encourages" people to accept the first bed that becomes available and explains they can always transfer later to their first choice once a bed becomes available.

It also "emphasizes" to patients and their families that an acute care hospital is not designed to care for those individuals who require long term care, and cannot provide the same support or quality of life, she said. Ambulances diverted from Moncton Hospital during 'critical overcapacity' in ER Some of the factors that led to ER problems over the holidays "will continue in the near future," said Melanson, citing a "major surge of patients" because of respiratory illnesses, such as COVID 19, the flu and RSV, a significant number of whom were "very ill," and staff shortages created by vacancies and illness, as examples.

Other factors include reduced access to primary care, and a slow down in discharging patients waiting for community supports or long term care placement, she said. Patients with non urgent medical issues may see long wait times and are encouraged to visit SoWhyWait.ca to help them choose another option, such as visiting a pharmacist, primary health care provider, after hours clinic, virtual care, such as eVisitNB.ca , or calling Tele Care 811.

Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911 or proceed to their local emergency department..