Alberta hospital patients waiting to move into continuing care are paying millions in fees

Adam Preston and his family were faced with a difficult decision when their grandmother, Shirley Tryon, was diagnosed with dementia and broke her hip in late 2018. After undergoing surgery and a lengthy stay in an Edmonton hospital, Tryon was deemed healed and ready for discharge. However, the family encountered challenges in finding a suitable continuing care facility for her due to long waitlists.

As a paramedic, Preston knew the importance of freeing up hospital beds for those in more critical need. With this in mind, the family made the decision to care for Tryon at home until a spot opened up in a continuing care facility. For three months, Preston provided round-the-clock care for his grandmother, juggling his responsibilities as a health-care worker with the demands of caregiving.

The issue of alternate level of care (ALC) patients, like Tryon, is a pressing concern in the Canadian health-care system. These patients occupy hospital beds despite not requiring acute care, resulting in challenges with patient flow and increased wait times for emergency and surgical care. Alberta, in particular, has been working to address this issue through the restructuring of its health-care system.

Data obtained through a freedom of information request revealed that nearly 23,800 hospital patients in Alberta have continued to occupy beds while waiting for placement in continuing care facilities since 2015. These patients are required to pay an ALC accommodation charge to offset costs, with fees increasing over the years.

The province has acknowledged the need for greater investment in community care to support ALC patients and alleviate pressures on acute-care facilities. Efforts are being made to identify and resolve barriers to reduce the number of ALC patients in hospitals, with a focus on improving outcomes for these individuals.

Despite the challenges they faced, the Preston family was able to find a suitable continuing care facility for Tryon, where she has been receiving the care she needs since 2019. The family is grateful for the support and care their grandmother has received and hopes that the health-care system will continue to improve to better support patients like Tryon in the future.