Over 300 deaths last year of people in ALC beds in hospital

HALIFAX -- According to an FOI filed by the NDP Caucus, 326 people died in hospital while in an Alternate Level of Care (ALC) bed, awaiting placement in a long-term care facility or another supported living situation in 2019-20. The NDP continues to call for significant infrastructure investments in long-term care to ensure that every resident has a room of their own.

“For those who need to be in long-term care, living in a hospital bed is an unacceptable alternative,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “The Liberal government has neglected long-term care so completely during their seven years in power that hundreds of people are stuck on a waitlist and hundreds more have to wait in hospital for a placement. We need to be making the investment needed now to address this need.”

Thousands of “ALC Days” are used every year in Nova Scotia hospitals by patients who need a spot in long-term care and aren't able to access one. Others are waiting for appropriate home care to be arranged. People stuck in hospital beds do not have access to the same social supports provided in long-term care facilities. It costs over $1,000 a day for a person to stay in the hospital and only about $250 a day for a nursing home bed.

“When we think about health care we need to think about how to provide the care that every Nova Scotian deserves,” said NDP Health and Wellness spokesperson Susan Leblanc. “By refusing to build any new nursing home beds for the first six years of their mandate, the Liberal government has left people living in hospitals unnecessarily, including during the last days of their lives.”

The Liberal government announced $230 million in infrastructure stimulus money but has refused to answer questions about which projects will be funded, including if any of this money is going to previously-announced long-term care projects or additional long-term care facilities.

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