By Bryn Levy

Saskatoon Health Region remains overcapacity

Sep 28, 2013 | 8:40 AM

The CEO of the Saskatoon Health Region is calling a recent bed shortage a “tipping point” in the discussion of how long term care is handled in Saskatchewan.

Region CEO Maura Davies took the opportunity to issue an apology at a press conference held out front of the Royal University Hospital (RUH)

“I want to say publicly that we are sorry that we are not able to provide more timely care for our patients and families and have our care in more appropriate settings. But we're working really hard to fix it.”

Twelve people were still waiting for emergency room spaces and 49 were in acute care waiting for long term beds.

Those numbers were down from 55 waiting for emergency and 80 waiting for long term care on Thursday when the Region first announced they were overcapacity.

Real estate

P.A.'s supply of housing for sale drops to 3 months

5h ago

Bodybuilding

Prince Albert bodybuilder wins top prize at regional competition

7h ago

Riderville

Riders seem confident heading into trading camp

12h ago

Davies said staff spent the 24 hours since the shortage began working to assess patients and get them discharged where possible to free up spots. In other cases, patients from out of town were returned to beds made availabe by their home health regions.

Extra spaces were also opened up temporarily at City Hospital with extra staff brought in to help run them.

But Davies stressed while the overcapacity numbers were down as of Friday, the situation remained tense and people are being asked not to visit Saskatoon emergency rooms unless they have no other option.

“This is a weekend and we know Friday nights get a little crazy in our hospitals and our emergency departments so we're going to have to monitor it really closely over the weekend. Some of the problems aren't going to go away in a few days or a few weeks, they'll be longer than that,” she said.

Davies said most patients waiting for long term care are elderly people who can no longer manage at home.

While she said digging out from the present crisis was the first order of business, Davies pointed out an aging population in the province means there needs to be a discussion about how best to care for seniors.

“I think this is a tipping point for us to put more fire under this. Because I think the other thing is, in additon to the patients that are in emerg waiting for long term care, we have lots of patients in other parts of our hospital, basically in every nook and cranny we could find for them, and that's not the right setting for them either,” she said.

But, Davies said a provincial strategy on caring for the elderly did not necessarily mean adding large amounts of long term care capacity.

She pointed out that Saskatchewan already has more long term care beds than the national average, but it doesn't have some of the subsidized supports available in other provinces.

“I think assisted living, enhanced home care, some of those other programs may actually provide some good options, perhaps not the total option.”

Davies added that more home care wasn't a magic bullet either and repeated that there would need to be more talks with the province.

“If we are providing enhanced support at home, that costs money, I'm not saying that we have all the money we need to provide that extended care, but we'll work through what that looks like and certainly work with the ministry on it,” she said.

blevy@rawlco.com

Follow on Twitter: @BrynLevy