Senior spent 9 days in hallway of Victoria General Hospital while being treated for complications from infections

Eric Roberts is back in his Saanich home, creating the pottery he loves, after an ordeal at Victoria General Hospital a couple weeks ago in which he spent nine days in the hallway getting treated for delirium and other complications from infections.

“It’s hard work keeping yourself thinking properly because you just want out and you wonder why you're in a hallway,” said Roberts Thursday.

The 87-year-old eventually got assigned a room for half a day, but overcrowding meant he was turfed back into the hallway for most of his stay.

"There was always noise, and you don't care who's looking at you after a while, because you just want out,” he said.

Island Health said it couldn’t comment on the specifics of this case, but acknowledged that there are capacity issues at hospitals across the province, and sometimes patients in the region are treated in hallways, something the health authority apologized for.

Premier David Eby weighed in on Roberts’ experience.

“It doesn’t meet the standard of care of any British Columbian in terms of the standard of care you should get in this province. Our health-care system is under significant strain,” Eby said at an unrelated news conference Thursday.

“I am really disappointed that this gentleman had to go through this experience.”

The health authority said Victoria General Hospital has been technically at 104-per-cent capacity this year, and it says part of the problem is that nearly 12 per cent of the patients there earlier this month no longer needed hospital care, but didn't have adequate supports elsewhere to leave. That includes seniors needing home supports or waiting for a spot at a long-term care home.

B.C.'s new seniors advocate Dan Levitt noted baby boomers will soon be in their 80s and will put an increasing strain on the province’s health-care system.

“Generally, one person over the age of 85 – one out of three – requires care, either at home or in residential or assisted-living care,” said Levitt.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says with a growing population, it's been the busiest March on record in B.C. hospitals.

Dix pointed to new funding – announced last week – to help seniors get more supports at home or at assisted-living homes, which will help to free up hospital beds.

“If you want to reduce room in the emergency room, you need more long-term care,” said Dix.

It's a reality that Roberts experienced for more than a week in the hallway of the hospital he went to for help.