LTC homes urged to make space as hospitals brace for flood of COVID-19 patients – CBC
5,000 ‘alternative level of care’ patients occupying hospital beds across Ontario
Apr 16, 2021
Long-term care facilities in Ottawa and across Ontario are being urged to free up more space to help the province’s hospitals handle the building surge of COVID-19 patients.
“We really could use the help right now,” said Anthony Dale, president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association.
At issue are some 5,000 “alternate level of care” (ALC) patients who are currently in hospital, but who are awaiting either home care service or transfer to other facilities, often long-term care (LTC) homes. The problem is especially acute in eastern Ontario, where 616 ALC patients are currently awaiting more appropriate levels of care.
ALC patients currently occupy one in every five beds at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic campus, and one in six at the Montfort and Queensway Carleton hospitals. While some are awaiting home care services so they can return home, others are waiting for a spot in another facillity. About 40 per cent of those ALC patients are waiting for a bed in a long-term care home.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/long-term-care-patients-space-hospitals-1.5987240
