A charity for seniors highlighted the complexities behind delayed hospital discharges and said there was an underlying problem of inadequate long-term care for seniors.

Mercedes Pringle-DeSilva, the executive director of Age Concern Bermuda, said the organisation was “well aware of the ongoing challenges” faced by the Bermuda Hospitals Board, owing to bed shortages at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The BHB said this week that there was growing pressure at the hospital, primarily driven by the number of patients who were medically fit for discharge that resulted in a record number of people waiting for inpatient beds.

At one point on Tuesday — when the board upgraded its alert level to 3, with 4 being the highest — 34 people were waiting for beds while 40 others who were medically fit to be discharged remained in hospital.

The alert level dropped to 2 on Wednesday.

Ms Pringle-DeSilva noted yesterday that many of the medically fit patients who were not discharged were seniors.

She said: “This is not a new problem and, as we have previously stated, it will only worsen as Bermuda’s ageing population continues to grow.

“We understand that the reasons seniors remain in the hospital longer than expected are multifaceted.

“Limited space in care-home facilities means that some seniors who require long-term care cannot be discharged simply because there is nowhere for them to go.

“In other cases, family homes may not be adequately outfitted to accommodate a senior’s care needs and the cost of making necessary modifications can be prohibitive.

“Additionally, many families caring for elderly loved ones require respite after providing long-term, intensive care at home.

“This issue is far more complex than simply labelling it as ‘granny dumping’, which unfairly oversimplifies the real challenges that families and seniors face.”

Ms Pringle-DeSilva pointed out that in 2017, Age Concern highlighted the need for a public guardian role to protect vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.

She said: “We are pleased to see that the Government is now moving forward with establishing the Office of the Public Guardian.

“This is a positive and necessary step and we hope to see it remain a top priority with a swift and effective implementation strategy to ensure seniors receive the advocacy and protection they need.

“With regard to the suggestion of utilising care homes to alleviate hospital capacity issues, we recognise this as a possible short-term solution.

“However, the underlying problem remains — Bermuda lacks adequate long-term care options for seniors. ”

Ms Pringle-DeSilva said that to sustainably address the issue, Age Concern urged the Government to invest in the expansion of home and community-based care, such as increased funding for home health aides, respite care and adult daycare services to help families manage care outside hospitals.

She added that more long-term care facilities should be developed, with encouragement for public-private partnerships and the repurposing of underused buildings to create additional senior housing.

The charity leader also said that workforce capacity should be a focus for the Government, with incentives for training and careers in geriatric care to meet rising demand.

Ms Pringle-DeSilva added that support should be given in the form of resources and education, including programmes to help family caregivers provide safe and effective at-home care.

She said: “Government, families and the community must work in concert to ensure the protection, care and safety of vulnerable seniors.

“Without decisive action, Bermuda will continue to face crisis situations like the one unfolding at KEMH.

“We remain committed to advocating for seniors and welcome further discussion on this critical issue.”

A BHB spokeswoman said that at 1.30pm yesterday, there were 15 people in the emergency department waiting for inpatient beds.

She added: “This is an improvement from earlier this week when an unprecedented 34 people were waiting for an acute-care bed.

“The continued reduction is thanks to the opening of additional space on the acute-care units and the number of people who could be safely discharged.

“Delays in discharging people who are medically fit has made this a challenging month.

“There have been only three days this March where discharges have exceeded admissions, which contributed to the situation.

“As the number of people waiting is still elevated, BHB remains at alert level 2, which means we are closely monitoring the situation but not actively responding to a crisis situation.”

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said this week that the Government was committed to upgrading elder-care facilities and building new care homes to meet demand.

She said: “Making home care more affordable and ensuring timely caregiver payments are also key priorities, allowing seniors to age with dignity and proper care in the comfort of their homes.

“We understand that some families face real difficulties in providing care at home and we are committed to supporting those who need additional assistance.

“However, for families who are able, we strongly encourage you to help your loved ones transition home when it is safe to do so.“

Before it was re-elected, the Progressive Labour Party said that the Gilbert Institute in Paget would be turned into a seniors daycare facility, potentially ready for operation by the end of this year.