Why are seniors waiting in hospitals for long-term care when a number of private nursing homes in P.E.I. have empty beds waiting for government licenses?
That was the question the Opposition Progressive Conservatives posed to the MacLauchlan government Thursday in the legislature.
Opposition MLA Darlene Compton pointed out government is currently replacing two public manors with the same number of beds, despite the fact P.E.I. has an aging population and increasing need for nursing care.
Meanwhile, 70 Island seniors are currently waiting in hospitals for long-term care beds.
“Why are you parking Island seniors in hospital beds in P.E.I.?” Compton asked.
Officials from Health P.E.I. told a legislative standing committee earlier this month it costs $900 to $1,200 a day for hospital care compared to the $185 and $230 a day cost for long-term care.
Seniors waiting for nursing care in hospital are not where they want to be and are also blocking beds from Islanders who require alternate hospital care, Compton said.
“We could move those seniors to more appropriate care, improving their situation and reducing health care wait times for everyone,” she said.
“Why are you prolonging and worsening the critical situation for Island seniors in our health care system?”
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Health Minister Robert Henderson argued the number of Islanders awaiting nursing beds in hospital has declined, thanks in part to investments in home care and support for palliative care at home.
In addition to those waiting in hospital, 78 Island seniors are waiting at home for nursing beds and 14 are waiting in community care.
He says the province is currently working on a long-term care strategy looking at the best way to address the current and future demand. He did acknowledge this strategy would aim to move away from increasing the number of long-term care beds as the only strategy to deal with the growing needs in this area.
“We have to determine how many beds do we need, where would they possibly be located, how do we interact our funding when it comes to home care… as well as the assessment tool for people and how they qualify for long-term care,” he said.
“There’s a number of issues and factors that go into making a decision of that nature and we just want to make sure we get it right.”
But Opposition Leader James Aylward argued government doesn’t need another study on this issue. He pointed out that a number of private centres have whole wings full of empty beds waiting for licenses.
“There’s interest in the private sector, but your government is stuck on a study treadmill,” Aylward said.
The issue spilled from question period into the remainder of the day’s proceedings, with an Opposition motion calling for an immediate granting of licenses to private nursing homes ready to take on more patients.
But Henderson continued to argue the need for further study and planning before moving forward. He amended the Opposition motion, tweaking it to say government would “move toward granting licenses to private longer-term care facilities as deemed necessary.”
A report on the long-term care strategy is expected to be delivered to government early in the New Year, which will include recommendations to government.
Currently, there are 1,141 licensed long-term care beds in P.E.I.
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