Why are hospitals in Waterloo region over capacity, cancelling surgeries?

Hospitals are cancelling surgeries, adding temporary beds and running over capacity in Waterloo region — part of the problem is patients in hospital beds who don't need to be, says the CEO of a home care industry advocacy group.

St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener cancelled two elective surgeries last week in order to accommodate an influx of 14 patients they're holding in the emergency department.

Sue VanderBent, the CEO of Home Care Ontario, told CBC News Monday, "there are a lot of problems and root causes for hospital overcrowding, which is happening all over the province."

'Trying to do more with less'

One cause, according to VanderBent is the aging population, who have more complex health care needs.

"Obviously we have more and more people getting older ... and people are more complex in terms of the care that they need...so we're not easy nowadays in terms of giving care," she told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

"We have also failed to invest in the home care system and as a result, what we're finding is we are trying to do more with less."

Home care is a specialized area of health care, in which a patient receives care in their own home, instead of being admitted to a hospital.

VanderBent also said as caregivers try to do more with less they are starting to "burn out," which is leading them to take their loved ones to hospital emergency rooms (ER).

"The reality is home care, which should be and is a protective factor for people to stay in their homes, and also a protective factor for the ERs not able to do its job," said VanderBent.

"As we see our ALC (alternative level of care) bed rates climbing we have to help people get home from having a hospital stay and help people not have to go to the ER."

Flow of patients

ALC patients are those who are occupying an acute care hospital bed, but don't actually have a need for acute care — which means they don't need to be seen by a doctor every day. ALC patients are stable in the hospital and waiting to go home and do not need the active treatment a hospital provides. 

VanderBent said this is one of the issues that causes issues in hospitals.

"If you go to the ER you should been seen quickly, and a decision should be made whether you do need to be in [hospital] or not. And if you don't need to be in the hospital, you should be going home with some sort of support whether that's to see your family doctor or receive home care," she said about the flow of patients.

"That's what we are seeing the problem is...we are getting stuck in certain parts and that's causing a back-up in all the other parts."