CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — An owner of four nursing homes in Charlottetown said private long-term care operators have offered to provide between 16 and 20 beds for dementia patients currently staying in Unit 9, the psychiatric ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Bob Nutbrown, owner of P.E.I. Seniors Homes, told a standing committee on Wednesday that he has sent a letter to Health Minister James Aylward to offer the spaces. He said the minister had reached out to long-term care homes about two weeks ago inquiring about homes that may have beds available.
Unit 9, the psychiatric ward at the Charlottetown hospital, was closed early on in the pandemic to provide excess capacity for expected capacity for COVID-19 pandemic. But as the province has slowly lifted public health restrictions, Unit 9, a cornerstone of urgent mental health care in the province, has remained closed. The beds in Unit 9 are currently being used for about 25 patients with dementia.
Dr. Heather Keizer, the province’s chief of mental health and addictions, has expressed concern about the ongoing closure of Unit 9 as a psychiatric unit. The province has said it hopes to see the unit reopen by the end of the month.
"Some of the companies — some I know very well — have written to the minister and offered 16-20 beds in their facility that they would convert and help with the dementia and create a safety unit," Nutbrown told members of the standing committee on health and social development.
Nutbrown said his company was among those offering beds for the dementia parents. He said providers would need to offer areas within their facility that were secure to cater to patients with dementia. Unit 9 is currently an area in the Queen Elizabeth hospital that is secure.
"It's not the rooms,” Nutbrown said.
“It's the possibility of wandering and wandering into the rest of your nursing homes."
Nutbrown added that extra staffing might be needed to accommodate the additional patients from Unit 9. He estimated the cost to his own facilities might be under $10,000.
Nutbrown said dementia represents the “number one problem” or concern in long-term care. He said family members of an individual living with dementia often experience heavy stress.
Nutbrown also expressed a number of other concerns related to long-term care.
He said he was pleased with the response from public health authorities early on in the COVID-19 pandemic in ensuring there was no community spread. One home he owns, Whisperwood Villa, experienced a COVID-19 scare after one staff-member contracted the virus, but the virus did not spread to any residents. The workers wore personal protective equipment while at the facility.
Nutbrown said he believe the inspection regime in P.E.I. long-term care homes is stronger than in other Provinces but said private homes face financial challenges. He pointed to the higher per diem price charged by private homes compared to public long-term care homes.
"There is no difference in quality of care. But the private sector provides the same service and saves the Province of P.E.I. $20 million per year in the delivery of the same service," Nutbrown said.
Nutbrown said he believes that the federal government should be increasing its transfers to smaller province for healthcare costs related to seniors care.
He also said staffing in long-term care homes has become a challenge. He said wage rates at private long-term care homes were competitive with public homes but said there is “insufficient interest” at the local level for staffing.
