Elderly patients are being abandoned at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, causing a shortage of beds that has led to the postponement of surgeries, Health Minister Jeanne Atherden told the House of Assembly.

“Our hospital is being used as a residence for seniors who do not need to be there,” Ms Atherden said.

All 90 beds are full at the new Acute Care Wing, along with the entire General Ward, forcing the hospital to add additional beds.

“If the beds were full because we had a sudden influx of acutely sick patients, I would understand — but this is not the case,” the minister said.

“The problem, and the source of my distress, is that there is a growing trend for the families of these elderly Bermudians to refuse to take them back home.

“They refuse to take responsibility for their grandparent, their parent, their sibling — telling the hospital that they are unable to cope with an ageing relative, or don’t have the appropriate resources at home.”

There are more than 30 “long-stay social admissions” burdening the hospital and who do not need to be there, Ms Atherden said.

“These ladies and gentlemen do not need to be in the hospital. They should be at home with their families, in familiar surroundings that provide a degree of comfort.”

Although the majority of families looked after their elderly relatives, sometimes at great sacrifice, she said she was aware of cases in which children working in good jobs had refused to cover the cost of their elderly parents’ care.

As a result, that expense was being foisted on the system: for a 75-year-old senior on FutureCare who has been in the hospital more than 15 days, the cost is $34,000 a month, at a cost of $27,200 to the taxpayer.

Opposition Member of Parliament and former Health Minister Zane DeSilva suggested such funds be used to house the seniors in homes such as Lefroy House, while Progressive Labour Party MP Kim Wilson proposed that the hospital request guarantees or credit card deposits off of the next of kin before admitting them.

PLP MP Derrick Burgess advised the minister to look at using the money to assist families with looking after seniors.

Ms Atherden responded that she was looking at all the options.

Ms Atherden said she did not believe legislation was the remedy for the situation.

“I don’t have the answers right now, but I am asking my new seniors advisory council to look into the problem on my behalf,” she added.