The Alternate Level of Care (ALC) issue has been a problem throughout the healthcare system in Ontario. What it means is that patients requiring care are not receiving the right care in the right place. For example, a patient may be awaiting placement for a nursing home bed or a convalescent bed in an appropriate facility where the care provided there better suits the patient's needs. Often ALC patients await this placement while in acute care beds in the hospital which is becoming a large issue and negatively impacts patient care, staff and financial resources.
The following downloads include a presentation/overview of the ALC situation and its impact here at the North Bay Regional Health Centre and a press release.
The Home in the Hospital download is a related North Bay Nugget article from Saturday, January 24, 2009.
For more information about ALC in northeastern Ontario, visit the
North East Local Health Integrated Network Website