Dale Bowler, capacity coordinator seniors’ health, AHS, Central Zone, talks about the delivery of long-term continuing care in Alberta and the Lloydminster area at the first Tuesday meeting of October of the Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society at the Legacy Centre. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
The outdated Lloydminster Health Services Needs Assessment will get a refresh with more emphasis on an in-home care model for continuing care than adding more spaces in facilities.
The Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Senior Care Society was briefed on shifting priorities by operations staff from Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) at a special meeting on long-term care spaces in the city last Tuesday.
“The way that we’re doing things now has to change,” said AHS senior operating officer community and seniors’ health, Lori Sparrow, for Alberta’s central zone.
She told the meeting the current ratio of about 30 per cent of people in the province’s continuing care system receiving home care and 70 per cent in facility-based care could flip in five years with 70/30 receiving care in their own homes.
“It will be experiencing aging in your own home,” said Sparrow, advising the seniors’ group to take that into account in their advocacy with politicians.
“So home care should be growing exponentially in the next few years.”
Sparrow says updating the needs assessment will provide some guidance.
Graham Brown, president of the Seniors Care Society, is still hoping to see more facility spaces for seniors care in the city, however.
“We applaud the governments in trying to keep people in their homes as long as they can. But we have to be prepared to have facilities spaces also, so when people need the spaces, the facilities are there,” he said.
SHA and AHS noted there are 29 people on the wait list in Lloydminster for continuing care spaces.
“We think that’s a large number and we need to do something about it,” said Brown.
SHA and AHS previously confirmed Lloydminster will need an additional 60 spaces by 2025 and 148 by 2035.
“It was very good to have both provinces here today to explain the process to getting that updated and getting more concrete numbers we can move forward with it,” added Brown.
It’s up to the deputy health ministers of both provinces who head the Bi-Provincial Health Services Committee to update the needs assessment.
Paul Richer, chair of the Lloydminster and District Health Advisory Council, told the meeting he will be emailing them often to learn when they plan to issue a new report on continuing care needs.
Neal Sylvestre, executive director, continuing care Northwest SHA, says he expects SHA will take a similar approach to Alberta in terms of the home care model moving forward.
Sylvestre also believes there is a strong desire in the province to try to keep people in the community and other forms of seniors living versus long-term care facilities.
He agrees a redo of the 2013 assessment would be fantastic.
“Having an update will eliminate speculation of needs and lead to something more concrete this group can take to government,” he said.
Dr. Raff Sayeed pointed out the Seniors Care Society only talks about spaces now and not beds.
“We’re worried about supporting seniors in the most appropriate and optimum place possible. That includes their home,” he explained.
Debora Okrainetz, AHS director of continuing care North East, Central Zone, expects there will be a growing need for home care workers and case management in-home, noting she won’t argue with the trend towards a 70/30 split in favour of home care.
“I want to be the one in my home as well. I think this new report would do the community very well,” said Okrainetz.
Stephanie Munro, chief executive officer of the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation, hopes Alberta keeps in mind what people’s financial means are during that transition to more at-home care.
“When we look at this we want to increase people’s mental health capacity by living at home, but have we thought about the financial burden it may cause them?” she asked.
“If you’re doing a 70/30 you are still paying your taxes, you’re paying your water, your heating bill and paying everything else.”
Munro says you may want to stay in your home but you may not be financially able to hope both provinces take that into account.
As for the next steps, the Seniors Care Society will keep meeting and advocating as a group with an eye to thinking community-wide to move the yardsticks forward.
“We need more home care workers, we need more case workers; we will meet again in the spring and follow up from this,” said Brown.
