Better placement is critical to relieve pressures on continuing care, according to the institute
Provincial healthcare systems are having difficulty in placing Canadians in the appropriate continuing-care settings they need, potentially worsening wait times and barriers to care, according to a new report.
The study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) revealed that one in five seniors with lower-priority needs could have put off or even avoided getting admitted to residential care, instead receiving care at home or in home-like settings, according to the Globe and Mail.
This implies that more bed spaces could be opened up for those who need them more, and other seniors could be allowed to stay in their communities longer. Residential care, as defined by CIHI, is support provided in a specialized facility that includes 24-hour nursing supervision.
The report predicts that the population of seniors 75 years old and above will increase from 2.6 million to 5.7 million within 20 years. While only around 9% of seniors age 75 and above are currently in residential care, that population’s expected growth will place unprecedented pressure on Canada’s continuing-care systems, CIHI said.
Entry into residential care comes after an initial assessment that considers a patient’s need for physical assistance, cognitive impairment, the occurrence of wandering behaviours, whether the patient lives alone or may soon be left alone, and other issues.
The report suggests pressure on residential care might ease if home-care services were developed or expanded to address such issues, and if gaps between hospitals and continuing-care sectors were bridged.
Health Quality Ontario has reported median wait times of 92 days for long-term care homes. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network hospitals, said he occasionally sees patients waiting months and even years to access residential care at his hospital.
“The data in this report by CIHI is showing that there still is a disconnect between our home and community care system and our hospitals in terms of really trying to understand what it would take to support an older person to return back home,” Dr. Sinha said.
Based on the CIHI report, seniors who were initially assessed in the community are six times less likely to be admitted to residential care compared to those assessed in hospital. According to Dr. Sinha, this is because hospitals are sometimes unaware of support systems and continuing-care services offered in different communities.
Mount Sinai has hired social workers with knowledge of services and systems available at patients’ communities. The number of older patients treated at the hospital has increased by 53% over the past five years, the length of stay for patients has decreased by 24% and readmissions have declined by 14%.
The increasing population of seniors in Canada should be a signal for hospitals and long-term-care organizations in Canada to act fast, according to Ontario Long Term Care Association CEO Candace Chartier.
“I think we definitely need more beds, we need more transitional models of care and we need to move on this now,” Chartier said.
Related stories:
Multiple prescriptions might increase risks of inappropriate medication
New service offers Canadians long-term care insurance options
The study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) revealed that one in five seniors with lower-priority needs could have put off or even avoided getting admitted to residential care, instead receiving care at home or in home-like settings, according to the Globe and Mail.
This implies that more bed spaces could be opened up for those who need them more, and other seniors could be allowed to stay in their communities longer. Residential care, as defined by CIHI, is support provided in a specialized facility that includes 24-hour nursing supervision.
The report predicts that the population of seniors 75 years old and above will increase from 2.6 million to 5.7 million within 20 years. While only around 9% of seniors age 75 and above are currently in residential care, that population’s expected growth will place unprecedented pressure on Canada’s continuing-care systems, CIHI said.
Entry into residential care comes after an initial assessment that considers a patient’s need for physical assistance, cognitive impairment, the occurrence of wandering behaviours, whether the patient lives alone or may soon be left alone, and other issues.
The report suggests pressure on residential care might ease if home-care services were developed or expanded to address such issues, and if gaps between hospitals and continuing-care sectors were bridged.
Health Quality Ontario has reported median wait times of 92 days for long-term care homes. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network hospitals, said he occasionally sees patients waiting months and even years to access residential care at his hospital.
“The data in this report by CIHI is showing that there still is a disconnect between our home and community care system and our hospitals in terms of really trying to understand what it would take to support an older person to return back home,” Dr. Sinha said.
Based on the CIHI report, seniors who were initially assessed in the community are six times less likely to be admitted to residential care compared to those assessed in hospital. According to Dr. Sinha, this is because hospitals are sometimes unaware of support systems and continuing-care services offered in different communities.
Mount Sinai has hired social workers with knowledge of services and systems available at patients’ communities. The number of older patients treated at the hospital has increased by 53% over the past five years, the length of stay for patients has decreased by 24% and readmissions have declined by 14%.
The increasing population of seniors in Canada should be a signal for hospitals and long-term-care organizations in Canada to act fast, according to Ontario Long Term Care Association CEO Candace Chartier.
“I think we definitely need more beds, we need more transitional models of care and we need to move on this now,” Chartier said.
Related stories:
Multiple prescriptions might increase risks of inappropriate medication
New service offers Canadians long-term care insurance options
