Manitoba family waiting for hospice bed for grandmother

A Winnipeg woman says a lack of hospice beds in Manitoba is impacting care for her aging grandmother. CTV’s Joseph Bernacki reports.

A Winnipeg family is pleading for change as their grandmother waits for a hospice bed to spend the final months of her life.

“People in Manitoba are waiting for a bed that doesn’t exist, a hospice bed that doesn’t exist,” said Ashley Casson, the granddaughter of Lorna Teague, who’s been given three months to live.

Teague, 87, broke her pelvis and was admitted to Grace Hospital.

While she was there, doctors found a cancerous mass that had spread.

With only months left, it was clear to the family that Teague needed a hospice bed.

However, getting her end-of-life care has proven to be a challenge.

“Manitoba only has 16 total hospice beds in Winnipeg and that’s it,” Casson said.

“The recommended number of hospice beds is seven to 10 per 100,000 people. So, it’s just pretty incredible and absolutely shocking to see.”

The most recent numbers from the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association show that Manitoba was last for hospice beds in 2022.

They calculate the number based on population.

The national average was 3.97 per 100,000 people and Manitoba was just 1.15 per 100,000 people.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) told CTV News there are five people currently waiting for a hospice bed.

“For people who don’t have much time to live, the fact that they’re on a waitlist competing for just a peaceful place to die with that many other people is pretty sad,” Casson said.

When asked for 2025 numbers, the WRHA said there are 16 hospice beds in Winnipeg — 12 at Grace Hospice and four at Jocelyn House.

A statement from the WRHA said, in part, “Wait times for hospice care can vary, ranging from just a few days to approximately six to eight weeks.”

Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Uzoma Asagwara sent a statement saying:

“Manitoba now has a dedicated provincial team focused on palliative and end-of-life care, bringing together front-line providers and experts to strengthen care planning across the province.”

For Casson, regardless of the reason, the wait is heartbreaking.

“My nana only has one other person in her room, but it’s just — there’s no privacy,” she said. “There’s no dignity. It’s just inhumane how people are expected to spend the last few months of their life.”

Asagwara said a new subcommittee has come up with a three-year plan to implement national palliative care standards.

They also say expansion is ongoing in other regions.