Age Concern: “Much Larger Systemic Issue”
The recent discussion regarding seniors occupying acute care beds within the hospital is an important topic that is a symptom of a much larger systemic issue,” Age Concern said.
This statement follows after Minister of Health, Seniors & Environment Jeanne Atherden said that the “hospital is being used as a residence for seniors” as there is a “growing trend for the families of these elderly Bermudians to refuse to take them back home.”
The Minister said that “the hospital is at the point now where they are having to cancel elective surgery because of a bed shortage,” with people refusing “to take responsibility for their grandparent, their parent, their sibling – telling the hospital that they are unable to cope with an ageing relative, or don’t have the appropriate resources at home.”
In response, Age Concern said, “The recent discussion regarding seniors occupying acute care beds within the hospital is an important topic that is a symptom of a much larger systemic issue.
“When it comes to the need for long term care of seniors the greater question is, “Why do seniors end up in the hospital for long periods in the first place?”
“There are some significant demographic, social and social policy events among other factors that have brought us to this point.
Some of these include:
- There are more seniors in Bermuda. The country is getting older.
- Seniors are more likely to have acute and long-term health needs than other age groups due to the effects of the ageing process.
- The Continuing Care Unit [CCU] has changed its structure. Patients now have to pay for CCU services, which limits the CCU as a long-term care options for those who lack the money to pay.
- There is a lack of sufficient community support systems to help families keep their frail ageing relatives at home. For example, “Are there enough community nurses and support workers to effectively maintain the elderly in the community?”
- The residential care system is already strained in terms of service demand and quality care expectations. We need standards that ensure quality care and effective management so that these homes can accommodate more people at a price which patients can afford.
- Financial Assistance has been cut. Yet, 1/3 of financial assistance recipients are seniors. The options for long term care financing are very limited unless families have access to significant cash.
“These are only a few of the factors that may be contributing to the more complex issues associated with growing older in Bermuda. These issues are also significant in scope and need to be addressed with proper research and planning.
“We therefore caution policy makers not to take a piece-meal approach to resolving ageing issues. We must get out of the reactive mode and avoid the blame game. Each of us has a role to play: government, community, families and seniors.
“In particular, policy makers must resist the temptation to cut expenses simply for the budget’s sake. To do so means that we are creating more problems for the long-term by not addressing the true nature of the problems we already have.
“Families we understand your plight. While there may be some families who are abusing the system, most are doing the best they can with a very limited and expensive system of support.”
Note to Age Concern – #1 – stop enabling bad behaviour from family members of elderly Bermudians. #2 – Name & shame those who are not properly looking after their elderly family members. #3 – Bermuda Govt. is broke – it cannot provide any more services, in fact, it has to provide less services to save $.
They are not legally obligated to care for an elderly relative. If they don’t want to, the senior should be treated as though they have no family. What does the hospital do in those instances?
Yet. They aren’t legally obligated yet.
YET, good point, so there needs to be a court to determine who in the family is legally responsible for the senior. so look at who lives in the seniors house. who did the senior send to college, who gets the seniors pension check, let all the dirty laundry come outm.
Age Concern is saying that there needs to be a plan involving Govt, the community and other organisations to help support the elderly. Your comments overlook that.
Unions and churches. Step up please.
If this does not tell you that Bermuda needs immigration reform, then you are S T U P I D. This island is figuratively and literally dying. We need new people working in Bermuda to support a govt which is living off of pixie dust.
We need an influx of wealthy young people who have a high disposable income.
How about trying to hold on to the bright young Bermudians we have, and helping them reach their full potential, instead of chasing them away due to lack of opportunities?
P.S. Ageing population is a problem world-wide, not just Bermuda.
Thank you Age Concern!!!
We need more students to go into healthcare careers. A good chunk of our nurses are foreign. The students are not interested in nursing, physio etc. This is where the opportunity lies. They can open their own businesses providing home care for seniors.
As noted above there is no legal obligation for one adult (offspring) to care for another (parent) and while I agree with age concern regarding the lack of support for families that want to care for their seniors the real problem is how to pay for it. There is a huge lack of insurance plans for elder care and people are not encouraged to save for their own care when they are young. According to the Minister it can cost up to 10 grand a month (120,000 per year)and this is more than the average person ever makes. So is imposible for them to be expected to pay this cost. In an Island that is known for its Insurance industry we have this huge gap in insurance coverage for elder care.
If you wonder why there are not more rest homes for seniors ? You can point the finger at those who regulate industry, and that goes for just about any thing and everything else .
What happened to home care giver and Parish Nurse system ? I certainly don’t want to use Granny for a pin cushion.
Some body is letting air out of the balloon.
No body wants to come to a country where the people are miserable !
I survive off Pixie Dust; enthusiasm and hope ! What do you survive off ?
We have a premier who has an incredible task ahead of him it is about time we all gave him our support.