N.B. hospital patients will jump the line for nursing homes
CBC
Horizon's four regional hospitals are in such a critical state of overcapacity, trying to cope with a record number of patients who really belong elsewhere, the CEO is calling on the province to bump those patients ahead of other New Brunswickers waiting for placements in nursing homes and other community care.
Margaret Melanson says more than 650 people who have no medical reason to be in the hospital are nonetheless there, taking up acute care beds, and it's having a profound impact throughout the hospital system.
"It means fewer beds for patients who need surgery," she said.
"It causes emergency department wait times to grow longer. It forces care to be delivered in hallways, dining areas, lounges, and other makeshift spaces — conditions that are far from ideal for patients, families, and staff."
Pushing these patients, mainly seniors, to the top of the waitlist for nursing home beds, is a measure of last resort, Melanson said.
"But we are now at a point where no other option exists."
Nursing home admissions are normally done chronologically.
However the minister of social development can prioritize admissions when requested by a regional health authority.
Social Development Minister Cindy Miles confirmed Thursday that in response to Horizon's request, her department will prioritize patients at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, the Saint John Regional Hospital, the Upper River Valley Hospital and the Miramichi Regional Hospital.
She couldn't say how many transfers to expect over the next 30 days
"You're looking for some hard numbers. I don't have those for you right now."
Horizon says the measure was last taken in January 2024, allowing 23 patients to be transferred out of the Saint John Regional and 52 patients to be transferred out of the Chalmers.
The issue of so-called bed-blockers has been building for decades, although the term is no longer used because it suggests the patients are at fault.
Health-care workers now refer to them as ALC patients, or alternate level of care patients.It's not exactly clear why the four hospitals are seeing record numbers of ALC patients now, but Horizon says they occupy about 40 per cent of available hospital beds.
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