Cathy Conroy's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009. She says the family has been told it will be a three-year wait for a subsidized bed in a long-term care facility.

Conroy says the family turned to local health services because her father became too difficult to handle, and after years of paperwork, they were offered a long-term solution that didn't make sense to them.

"They have a transitionary bed system where they can find a bed anywhere in the Montreal area [that] could be as far as the Olympic stadium. We're from the West Island, so we said no, we want him to be in the West Island," Conroy told CBC's Daybreak Montreal.

Five weeks ago, Conroy says she could no longer control her father and had to call police to take him to the Lakeshore General Hospital.

Lydia Ingenito, an assistant director with the Quebec ministry of health, says the wait is only long for those want a specific facility.

"The three years, it's because there are care centres that are more popular than others. For example, there is a bigger waiting list at some or less people moving out of others," said Ingentio.

Ingenito says people looking for a long-term care facility can get a bed somewhere, but they can't always get exactly the place they want right away.

Conroy says she has decided to take her father out of the Lakeshore General Hospital and put him in a private centre that will cost also twice as much as subsidized care.