Canada's healthcare system struggling to keep pace as hallway medicine becomes the norm

One in six Canadians doesn't have a family doctor, and less than half are able to see a primary care provider on the same or next day. Emergency rooms, also short-staffed, are getting clogged with both overflow and serious conditions that could have been identified and treated earlier.

Racialized and lower-income adults — the latter of which largely includes older Canadians — are most disproportionately affected by these gaps. When people aren't able to receive hospital rooms and are treated out in the open, it's called "hallway healthcare." It's not a future risk — it's happening right now.

Canada has spent the last few generations planning schools and communities for baby boomers, but the healthcare system can't keep up with capacity. A shortage of nurses and doctors can turn delays into real dangers. Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) President Anthony Quinn has seen these dangers firsthand. In a LinkedIn post, he describes what he witnessed in a hospital while visiting his mother: "There's nothing more personal and maybe nothing more hurtful to a son than coming back to the ER and seeing his elderly mother sitting in a urine-soaked bed, hunched over with a tray of food plopped on her stomach, no beverage to wash it down, under fluorescent lights and the chaos of stretchers coming and going beside her. Anyone who hasn't experienced it would be just as hurt as I am by the loss of dignity in caring for patients in hallways."

Comments on Quinn's post show other Canadians who have experienced or witnessed similar situations. CARP is taking action to address the crisis, with membership options starting at $19.95 for one year for individuals and their spouses. The organization aims to enhance quality of life for older adults by influencing public policy to combat ageism. Membership fees strengthen CARP's ability to advocate for systems affecting financial security, health, and dignity.