Issue link: http://clhia.uberflip.com/i/206673
As mentioned, one area of stress for Canadians currently is how best to navigate within the current system. The creation of a single point of contact for the long-term care system would be very beneficial. In addition, the creation of a coordinator role or patient advocate who would guide patients through the continuum of care would help to ensure seamless transition along the continuum. Recommendations To the extent that governments are involved in the funding of long-term care facilities, the CLHIA recommends that future funding be prioritized to organizations that offer the full range of long-term care services themselves, or that can demonstrate that they effectively and efficiently integrate with organizations across the continuum of care. The CLHIA recommends that patient advocates be created that can act as a point of contact for those seeking long-term care and to help them more effectively navigate the system. 5. ENSURE SUFFICIENT CAPACITY OF LONG-TERM CARE It will be important to ensure sufficient capacity in the system to cope with the demand for long-term care as Canadians age. This includes the capacity in long-term care facilities and that there exists the appropriate number of health care professionals to provide treatments both long-term care facilities and through home care. Long-term Care Facility Capacity Long-term care facilities are dealing with capacity challenges. There are currently about 300,000 people residing in long-term care facilities in Canada. 22 As discussed above, we know that even today there are capacity issues given the number of Canadians in hospitals waiting for appropriate long-term care beds to become available. Reports indicate that the number of seniors designated as 'alternate level of care' in acute or complex care hospitals almost doubled between 2005 and 2008. 23 As a result, the overall wait times for individuals seeking placement in long-term care facilities has increased dramatically. For example, in the last quarter of 2008-2009, the median wait time for placement in Ontario was 103 days for urgent cases and up to 618 days and beyond for others, depending on the region. 24 While there is a problem today, given the age demographics, the problem will only grow. If we assume residency rates of the present population, it can be predicted that Canada will need over 800,000 longterm care beds by the year 2047 – over 2.5 times what we have now. Even if we assume a much greater use of home care for Canadians, there will be a significant increase in the number of facilities required for the long-term care needs of Canadians. Indeed, based on the average size of current long22 Canadian Healthcare Association. New Directions for Facility-Based Long-term Care. Canadian Institute for Health Information, January 14, 2009. Alternate level of care in Canada. Analysis in brief. 24 The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto and the Ontario Home Care Research Network. Aging in Ontario: An ICES Chartbook of Health Service Use by Older Adults. 23 11