On August 18, the Ontario government launched Ontario’s Plan to Stay Open: Health System Stability and Recovery. This action plan was developed to work toward addressing Ontario’s urgent need to stabilize the health and long-term care sectors and preserve our hospital capacity.
Part of the action plan includes the More Beds, Better Care Act, 2022, formally Bill 7, which is aimed at ensuring that patients who are appropriate for a status of Alternative Level of Care (ALC) and no longer require the level of support offered in the hospital setting be discharged to a suitable long-term care (LTC) home, while they wait for placement in their preferred home.
This legislation will not affect most patients at Baycrest Hospital, but for some individuals, Ontario’s long-term care homes provide care and support beyond what is possible at home or in the hospital setting.
We want to assure our patients and their families that Baycrest is working closely with Ontario's Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS) care coordinators, our regional hospital partners, and our community partners to facilitate this new process. We ensure that we will offer the utmost support and care to the impacted patients and families.
There are well-established processes in place to assist patients and families with identifying long-term care options. For any patient who will be impacted by the new legislation, HCCSS staff will provide ample communication and support in advance of any placement decisions.
Please note the following changes that Baycrest is making based on legislation:
- Patients who are deemed appropriate for a status of Alternative Level of Care (ALC) with a plan for long-term care, will be encouraged to choose two homes with a short waiting list (as determined by Home and Community Care Support Services) or an empty bed.
- Patients who have a status of appropriate for an ALC, must have an eligibility assessment completed to indicate if they are appropriate to receive care in a long-term care home. Patients who do not consent to participate in the eligibility assessment will have information from their hospital records used to evaluate long-term care home eligibility. This includes cases where, despite reasonable efforts, patient consent for release of information has not been obtained.
- Patients who choose not to engage with a Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS) care coordinator for placement-related decisions will have a long-term care home selected on their behalf, taking the following into consideration:
- The patient's condition and circumstances,
- The class of accommodation requested by the patient (private vs semi-private),
- The proximity of the home.
- Effective November 20, 2022 patients who have met their goals for admission and are given a discharge date, and refuse to leave the hospital will be charged a fee of $400 per day beginning 24-hours after this date. Additionally, patients who receive a bed offer to a long-term care home, and refuse the bed offer, will be charged a fee of $400 per day beginning 24-hours after the date of transfer if the patient remains in the hospital.
Patient who have an anticipated discharge or currently ALC for long-term care can expect a follow-up conversation with their social worker within five business days. At Baycrest, we work to ensure the health and safety of everyone we care for, including those in the hospital today and those who urgently await hospital care.
Please refer to the information below for further information about this legislation.
Resources:
Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS) “Transitioning from Hospital to Long-term care”
https://healthcareathome.ca/document/transitioning-from-hospital-to-long-term-care-english/
The Right Care in the Right Place: An Open Letter on Bill 7
Government of Ontario Plan to Stay Open - Health System Stability and Recover
Bill 7 - FAQ