Visiting the hospital this time of year, you may be surprised (or not) by the number of patients lining the halls of the emergency department waiting for a bed in a hospital ward. 
Above each bed in the hall last week was a number secured to the wall to quickly identify the patient to those providing care. At one time there were seven filled beds. These unfortunate patients wait in the halls while other patients wait to be released. Some already have the green light to leave but they can’t escape because they can’t go home.
During a recent Advisory Meeting at Centennial Place, one of the contributing factors to this overcrowding in the ER department was discussed. Transmittable illnesses in long term care homes is carefully tracked, and for good reason. Based on definitions established by Public Health authorities, cohabitation homes are sometimes quarantined or identified as being in “outbreak”. It takes just two residents exhibiting the same symptoms of a respiratory tract infection, which includes a cough, sneezing, nasal congestion, a runny nose, a sore throat or fatigue, for the home to be declared in outbreak.
Respiratory tract infections are one of the most commonly diagnosed infections among long-term care home residents, who may be predisposed to them in part because of their age, a weakened immune system, or the presence of chronic lung or neurological disease impairing their ability to clear secretions from their lungs and airways. Another contributing factor is the environment in which they live, which can facilitate the transmission of these common illnesses.
Once a long term care home has been tagged as in outbreak, Public Health recommends that no new resident move in until they declare that the outbreak is over. Once the quarantine has been lifted, many homes may only receive a single new resident each day, so it may take a while to fill those open spots, and many of those waiting may be doing so in the hospital. The problem is exacerbated when multiple homes in an area are in outbreak, which happens more frequently during the winter months. In this situation, the numbers of would-be residents waiting for a bed can multiply quickly and the backlog can takes weeks to clear.
Some of us unwittingly contribute to this problem even as we go about trying to make a difference with a friendly visit or through volunteer work, and the solution is simple: Wash your hands! That ubiquitous hand sanitizer dispenser in grocery stores, seniors’ residences, medical clinics and hospitals is offering more than window-dressing. It provides one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect ourselves and those around us from illness.
So next time you drop in for a friendly visit to a long term care home or someone with a vulnerable immune system, make sure to take a moment to protect them with clean hands. And if you are feeling unwell, stay home! KG
