At a Glance
BC hospitals are already overflowing. Patients waiting for long-term care beds are living in hallways, and flu season has only just begun.
There are two things you can do: stay out of hospital by getting your recommended vaccines now, and make sure you won’t face a crisis alone.
Advance Care Planning, which means naming a substitute decision-maker and documenting your medical wishes, is your healthcare insurance.
Today, I was absolutely gobsmacked when I walked into Vancouver General Hospital to discover my “stable” client had been moved from a lovely private room — into the hallway. She is waiting for a transfer to a long-term care bed. Until that happens, which could take literally weeks or even months, that hallway bed behind a tiny privacy screen is her home.
Similar to this photo, hospitals across BC are running beyond their limits.
Hallway Beds Across BC
I walked in a daze through the hospital: makeshift beds lined the halls of every nursing unit. The emergency department was a war zone. My colleagues tell me it is the exact same story across the province, from Vancouver to Hope, Victoria to Nanaimo, and Osoyoos to Kamloops.
Our hospitals are already running beyond their limits. When respiratory and flu season hits its peak, facilities are expected to surge well over 120% capacity.
What You Can Do Now
So what can you do? Two things: stay out of hospital if you can, and be prepared if you can’t.
First, be proactive: get all of your recommended vaccines now.
Second, make sure you won’t face it alone. As my dear fellow navigator and right hand Bernice Budz always says: “If you think you can navigate that by yourself, give your head a shake.” Wherever possible, you must have someone at your side, and they must know what you want.
Advance Care Planning Is Your Healthcare Insurance
This is what Advance Care Planning is for. Formally naming a substitute medical decision-maker and documenting your medical wishes is your healthcare insurance. The chances of an acute crisis today might feel small. But leaving your loved ones with the pain, confusion and guilt of guessing what you want during a medical emergency is entirely preventable.
Want to learn more first? Join one of our online workshops, by donation, from anywhere in BC.
Recommended Viewing
From Shortfall to Crisis: Growing Demand for Long-Term Care Beds in B.C., from the Office of the Seniors Advocate of BC.
Read the full report: From Shortfall to Crisis (Office of the Seniors Advocate)
BC Resources for Flu Season
Book your free flu and COVID-19 vaccines: Respiratory illnesses, Province of BC (links to the Get Vaccinated booking system), or call 1-833-838-2323
Health advice from a nurse, 24/7: HealthLink BC, or call 8-1-1
Frequently Asked Questions
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When a hospital is full, patients are placed in temporary “surge” beds in hallways and other spaces. Many acute care beds are taken by patients who no longer need hospital care but are waiting for another level of care, most often seniors waiting for long-term care or assisted living. Provincial data reported in 2025 put these patients at 10 to 15 per cent of all acute care patients in BC.
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It depends on the region, and it is getting longer. According to BC’s Seniors Advocate, the average wait for people moving from hospital into long-term care more than doubled, from 34 days in 2020/21 to 70 days in 2024/25, and the waitlist has grown about 200% since 2016.
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Yes. Flu vaccines are free for everyone in BC six months and older. Book through the provincial Get Vaccinated system or call 1-833-838-2323. You can also ask your pharmacist or family doctor. This season, adults 75 and older and Indigenous people 60 and older can also get a free RSV vaccine.
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Advance Care Planning means naming a substitute medical decision-maker in a Representation Agreement and documenting your wishes in an Advance Directive. Together, they make sure the person at your side knows what you want if you can’t speak for yourself.
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Yes. We help people complete their Advance Care Planning by Zoom from anywhere in BC. Writing a Representation Agreement takes only minutes, and we can help you complete a thorough Advance Directive in less than two hours.
Related Reading
Who Will Speak for You? Representation Agreements: How to name a trusted person to make health decisions for you in BC.
Care in Hospital and Discharge Planning: What care partners need to know during a hospital stay and before discharge.
Understanding Long-Term Care: Public & Private: Eligibility, waitlists and costs for long-term care in BC.
Ready to get your Advance Care Plan done now?
Writing a Representation Agreement takes only minutes, and we can help you complete a thorough Advance Directive in less than two hours, by Zoom from anywhere in BC. Reach out to our team to get started.
For more information, see our Services and Fees.
