High running costs for long-term care facilities such as the Lefroy House Care Community and the Sylvia Richardson Care Facility may not be sustainable, Minister of Health, Seniors and Environment Jean Atherden told the House of Assembly on Monday.

Speaking during the Budget debate, she said it cost $10,000 per patient per month to look after them.

“These high running costs may not be financially sustainable and other options will be explored,” she said.

“Not many, if any, of the elders that we care for can afford $10,000 per month and, as a consequence, the fees are heavily subsidised.”

Ms Atherden explained that long-term care for seniors was “very expensive” because of the convergence of medical, social and other needs.

“There is very limited home care service on the continuum of care for elders,” she said. “Therefore, informal care is underutilised, limiting options and choices for care to facility-based care or independent living.”

She said they were expensive because they operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“This is at least three times more intensive than running a nine-to-five business in payroll alone,” she said. “There are three shifts to cover the day and it must also operate on weekends, public holidays and throughout hurricanes.

“These hours are manned by Department of Health staff that are unionised employees. The business units must be managed within the collective bargaining agreements with established benefits for sick leave and vacation, which often increase the need for overtime coverage.

“The operation of a residential care facility requires managers, nursing, catering, housekeeping and facilities management teams, meaning that it is a complex and diverse operation in a healthcare setting that must be sanitary and safe and provide quality care.”

Ms Atherden said that Lefroy Care Community employed 58 full-time equivalents (FTE) and the programme had an annual budget of $4,856,000, while Sylvia Richardson Care Facility employs 48 FTE and had an annual budget of $5,387,000.

“To do the math, divide the annual budget of either facility by 12, and you will calculate that the monthly operating budget which is approximately $400,000 – each,” she said.

“The Department of Health’s long-term care facilities such as the Lefroy House Care Community and the Sylvia Richardson Care Facility provide skilled residential care for seniors as well as daycare and essential respite care for families whose seniors reside at home. Both facilities provide comprehensive medical, nursing, environmental and recreation services to the eligible elders of Bermuda.

“The Eden model of care practised by the Department of Health is a non-medicalised model that aims to offer the elder quality of life and choice in a home-like setting, eg wear one’s own clothes, choice of time to wake and go to sleep, choice of activities and open visiting times.”

• For full ministerial statement, click on the PDF file under “Related Media”.