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“That’s 60 patients, 60 sick patients that basically did not get care while she was here because she was using up the space that they paid their tax dollars to provide for their emergency care,” said Campbell, adding that another elderly person was in the emergency room for more than four days.

Such situations are becoming all too common in the region’s emergency rooms, said Campbell: Elderly people who are not acutely ill are clogging the system and preventing others from receiving emergency care.

Campbell said some families are not planning for the long-term care of their loved ones and instead drop them off at emergency when they can no longer cope with their needs.

“They throw their hands up and say they can’t manage any longer… In some ways it’s almost abandonment,” said Campbell.

“The problem for us is that we can’t do our job… The emergency department is for managing emergencies. An emergency is an unexpected health crisis. This is not an unexpected health crisis. It’s a social crisis that should have been anticipated. They didn’t suddenly become demented and old.”

Campbell said in most cases, the elderly person has cognitive issues.

“They languish in the emergency department. It’s lit 24 hours a day. It’s noisy 24 hours a day. It’s not a calm environment, which is exactly what these people need,” said Campbell.

Health Minister Leo Glavine reiterated Thursday that wait times for long-term care beds are coming down. He said Emergency Health Services are also now able to go to homes and address health needs without going to the emergency room.

“Part of that… is educating our senior population so that they know that there could be another avenue for them to get the care that they need,” said Glavine after a cabinet meeting.