Okay, again we know there are many terms for senior nursing facilities. Nursing homes, long term care facilities, senior care homes etc. etc. What we are usually talking about is any kind of residence that a senior may live in because they need some kind of support.
In this case, it may be a regular hospital or rehab hospital that was caring for a patient right after a medical need comes up. The need then changes to assisted living accommodations or senior nursing care. But there is no room for them at the senior care facility they need to go to.
So what’s the issue with senior care facilities?
It would appear that many provinces and states still have gaps in the system that hinder a senior who needs a particular type of care. For example, move from rehab to senior nursing care facility or long term care, or move from hospital to rehab. But there is no room where they need to go and they can’t go home. These create bed blockers. Someone taking up a bed where they don’t need to be anymore. Then a backlog gets created. People are waiting for the right room in the right place.
Or if there is a need to move from in home care to assisted living a bed blocker could delay this. And the bed blocker doesn’t necessarily want to be where they are but they have no choice. So a viscous cycle is created.
Who is impacted by this issue?
The seniors likely just want to get settled wherever they need to go and not wait and wait and wait.
Families get frustrated because their loved ones are in limbo as they are waiting for the right bed in the right place.
Hospital staff including senior nursing facilities employees are likely frustrated. They have no control on influencing who comes in and who doesn’t. They are caring for seniors that should be somewhere else while others are waiting for their care. They are helpless.
Something has to change. We know the volume of us that will need senior care at some point is on the rise.
See original commentary article from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The cost to Alberta is huge so imagine what it costs North America with all provinces in Canada and each state in the US?
Braul: We can do a better job of caring for our seniors
