doctor crs: It seems to me the problem in Ontario is the lack of chronic care and long-term care facilities and beds. These beds cost a lot less to maintain than do acute care beds but our health authorities seem to have decided that there are only two practically available care options, one based on people occupying acute care beds and the other based on people living "independently" in the community and receiving home care or outpatient services. In the latter instance, a lot of older people with challenging health issues like dementia are ending up in private residential facilities that aren't equipped to provide ongoing specialized care and where it's expected that patients (who in most cases paid taxes throughout their working living in the expectation they'd get health care when needed) and/or their families will cover most costs, something many are unable or unwilling to do. Increasingly, there is no "middle" in our publicly funded health care system. It's all or nothing.