A letter signed by more than 50 Sunshine Coast doctors paints a bleak picture of the state of long-term care in the community and takes Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to task for not coming up with a workable solution.
The letter, addressed to Health Minister Terry Lake, calls on the provincial government to “ensure that the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority fulfills its obligations to our community.”
Dr. Jim Petzold, the physician lead for the residential care beds advocacy group of Sunshine Coast Division of Family Practice, said it’s been obvious to local doctors for some time that the plan VCH has on the table – closing Shorncliffe and Totem Lodge in 2018, and acquiring beds in a private facility – falls far short of what the community needs.
VCH’s contract with Trellis Seniors Services would create 125 publicly-funded beds in the company’s proposed Silverstone Care Centre in Sechelt, an increase of just 20 beds over the capacity of Shorncliffe and Totem.
The Coast’s doctors say 57 new beds are needed immediately, and 126 by 2018, just to get up to the VCH average of 91.5 beds for every 1,000 people over the age of 75.
The Sunshine Coast currently has 74 beds for every 1,000 people over the age of 75.
Petzold told Coast Reporter this week that local doctors are frustrated that the Sunshine Coast continues to be under-served.
“This is not unique to the Sunshine Coast. It’s province-wide, and it’s country-wide,” he said. “But the only thing we can do fairly is compare ourselves to other communities within Vancouver Coastal Health, and these numbers clearly show that compared to the rest of Vancouver Coastal Health, we’re getting the short end of the stick.”
He cites Powell River as a good comparison. It has more than the average of long-term care beds. “We’re not asking for pie-in-the-sky, we just want enough beds to bring us up to the Vancouver Coastal average.”
Petzold also said the serious shortage of long-term care beds is affecting the entire health care system on the Sunshine Coast, and the most obvious impact is at Sechelt Hospital where, at any given time, about 40 per cent of the beds are filled by patients waiting for a transfer to residential care – a wait that averages four months.
“That dramatically impacts care,” Petzold explained. “It suddenly transforms a 40 acute care bed hospital to a 24 acute care bed hospital, which means you cannot adequately look after the acute care needs of your population.”
The letter points out that situation has led to some patients getting discharged too early, higher costs, increased pressure on the ER, and increased stress for doctors, nurses, and support staff.
The Coast’s three Chambers of Commerce have weighed in to support the doctors. A joint letter from Gibsons Chamber president William Baker, Sechelt Chamber president Kim Darwin, and Len Lee of the Pender Harbour Chamber highlights the economic impact.
“Our estimate, based on the facts provided to us, is that there is over $200,000 per month of additional and unnecessary expenses being incurred due to the shortage of long-term care beds. This is a staggering amount of money that would be better put to productive uses,” the letter says.
The doctors have also joined the growing number of voices criticizing VCH’s lack of consultation.
Petzold said the doctors met with VCH officials shortly after last year’s request for proposals from companies interested in providing 15 to 24 new long-term care beds, with an option to expand to 125 in the future.
“We strongly pointed out how insufficient those numbers were, in terms of meeting our present and future needs,” said Petzold. “They didn’t want to hear anything about the numbers.”
As Petzold and the other doctors see it, VCH should be exploring other options, including rebuilding Totem Lodge once residents are moved to a new facility or expanding Christenson Village in Gibsons, where there’s already land set aside for the purpose.
“They don’t have to build the 126 beds we’re short instantly … as long as the intent is there,” he said. “And what we want from the government in response to our letter is a concrete proposal to bring us up to the Vancouver Coastal Health average.”
VCH director of public affairs Gavin Wilson said the health authority is aware of the physicians’ concerns and has made plans to meet with them and discuss the issues in more detail.
“We will respond to the physicians directly,” said Wilson, who also pointed out that the health authority believes Silverstone will improve long-term care by increasing the total bed count, and dedicating more of the beds to “residents with advanced dementia and challenging behaviours.”
Wilson also said VCH doesn’t see residential care as the only option. “Our aim is to support more people in their homes and to have other options available in the community.”
Minister Lake has not yet responded publicly to the letter, but Kristy Anderson, director of media relations for the ministry, offered a statement to Coast Reporter this week.
“The ministry has made it a strategic priority to improve primary and community care – ensuring patients are getting the right care, in the right place, and as close to home as possible. Over the past year, we’ve been working with health authorities to develop a more community-focused health system – one that is proactive, integrated, and responsive to patients and families,” she said.
“The residential care rejuvenation plans on the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver Coastal Health will help to achieve this goal. Through the plans an additional $1.2 million will be invested annually on the Sunshine Coast in residential care.”
Petzold said when nearly every doctor in a community signs a letter to the health minister it’s a clear signal there’s a serious problem. “Because the physicians are so unified on this issue, I think it indicates how bad a situation we’re in when it comes to long-term care beds.”
