More people seeking shelter at Brantford’s emergency room

Brantford General Hospital says the number of unhoused people seeking shelter in its emergency department has been rising over the last five years.

“They come with the initial intent of seeking medical care and then they have nowhere else to go,” said Dr. Somaiah Ahmed, chief and medical director of emergency medicine with the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS).

They also know the ER is a safe place to stay overnight.

“We have discharge principles, which means we don’t send them home if the weather is not above 5 degrees Celsius,” explained Ahmed. “People come here for a warm space.”

Staff see between four to seven unhoused people in the emergency room every day. That’s about 1,000 patients since April 2023, according to the BCHS, and up from around 600 in 2019.

“Add in the unpredictability of patients who may have mental health concerns or mental health stresses [and] it can lead to very tense situations in the waiting room,” added Ahmed.

NEED FOR MORE HOUSING SERVICES

The BCHS believes more needs to be done to help those in need.

“We know that with our current economy there are more people who can’t afford their day-to-day living, and if we had more housing resources into the evening, or we had more shelter spaces, or we were able to provide permanent housing resources for people, we would decrease the pressures on our healthcare system,” Ahmed said. “This isn’t about saying: ‘You’re not doing enough.’ But it’s saying: ‘Can we do more please?’”

She hopes change comes – and soon.

“The emergency department is a safety net for our entire community.”

THE CITY’S RESPONSE

The City of Brantford says they’re collaborating with healthcare representatives and community partners to create a cold weather plan that prioritizes unhoused people.

Katarina Knezovic, the manager of Housing and Homelessness Services for the city, told CTV News in a statement: “As per current practice, during extreme weather alerts, as determined by the Brant County Health Unit, anyone seeking shelter will be provided services. City staff are also working to bring together hospital and housing center resources to create discharge plans that directly connect patients with housing services. Furthermore, the city has increased shelter bed capacity during the winter months from 70 to 83 beds and provides emergency motel accommodations if required. At this time, the city’s Emergency Shelter Services has available beds.”

She adds that anyone needing immediate shelter should call 226-227-7692 during regular business hours and 1-888-621-0034 after hours.