It's a daunting image for an aging population looking at the state of the long-term care (LTC) sector in Ontario, knowing there are not enough beds to meet current or future needs.
S&R Nursing Homes Ltd. Vice President of Long-Term Care Kim Van Dam said with facilities across southwestern Ontario, the organization has over 1,800 staff working to meet the needs of 928 LTC spaces.
While the sector faces many challenges, Van Dam said capacity is a major issue with few real estate options and long wait times for developments to be approved.
"Ontario needs over 30,000 new LTC beds to serve the number of people currently waiting, and we need an additional 48,000 by 2029," she said.
For those standing by for an LTC bed, Van Dam said the average wait in Ontario is 126 days, but some have waited up to 2.5 years.
During the application process through Ontario Health at Home, individuals or their power of attorney, will get to list out their location preferences. After a long period of waiting, Van Dam said the applicants have 24 hours to make a decision once presented with an option.
"If you've accepted the bed and you've decided you're moving into the LTC home, you have five days from the day you accept to move into the home, that's government regulation," she said.
Van Dam said based on what she's told, the waiting process is often what frustrates families the most.
"You must be an advocate for yourself or your family," she said, advising people to open the lines of communication themselves during the application process.
Then comes the topic of finances, where basic accommodations can cost roughly $2,000 per month.
Meanwhile, LTC homes -- private and public alike -- are facing staffing challenges.
Van Dam said in the private sector, they're typically in competition with hospitals to attract personal support workers (PSWs). She also noted a current "human resources crisis" where there are fewer people to conduct hiring practices.
"We're doing everything we can to encourage people to think about our sector -- job fairs, working with the college student placements -- to make LTC a place where people want to work," said Van Dam.
Aside from more beds and staff, Van Dam said Ontario needs more innovative models of care to help the residents they're seeing now.
Compared to ten years ago, Van Dam said more residents are coming to them increasingly frail or with greater cognitive challenges because they're choosing to stay at home longer.
"The target for March 2025 (for direct care hours) is four hours of care per resident," she said. "We've been on a slow climb to that."
Van Dam was the guest speaker during a recent Kiwanis Club of Sarnia-Lambton Golden K meeting.
