In my eight-year experience as a Geriatric case manager, I am impressed by the care and services that my clients have received in every emergency department across this Ottawa. Whenever necessary, the care and diagnosis has been immediate and acted on with humanity. My complaint rests with facilities that use emergency rooms as a holding unit for their residents who they cannot nurse at that time or as a holding unit for dementing residents who they cannot control. And what is the emergency nurse supposed to do? Actually the resident/patient just sits bewildered in emerge, too often on the very stretcher that they arrive on, until they calm down and then they are sent back – too often a full day later.

Using emergency as a holding place for the elderly is a great way to waste health care dollars. When all else fails, care practitioners in our “system” use emergency as a catch-all and this is not appropriate in my eyes.

The professionals in emerge are dealing with exactly this: emergencies not ongoing chronic illnesses and recurring inappropriate procedures in facilities. I am not recommending that care be provided in Long term Care facilities.

What would you like to see instead?