Canada’s emergency departments are under growing pressure, and many of the physicians working in them are reconsidering how much longer they can continue at the same pace.
A new peer-reviewed Canadian study found that, among the emergency physicians surveyed, nearly half had reduced their clinical hours, one in five had taken time away from emergency work, and approximately one in ten had left emergency medicine.
The findings highlight a serious problem: when emergency physicians reduce their hours or leave the profession, an already strained system has even less capacity to care for patients.
Emergency departments must always remain available for genuine emergencies. However, not every healthcare need requires a hospital visit. For seniors, people with mobility limitations, patients recovering after hospitalization, and those managing chronic conditions, appropriate home healthcare in Montreal can make professional support easier to access—without unnecessary travel or time in a crowded waiting room.
What the Canadian ER Physician Survey Found
The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in July 2026, examined burnout and career changes among 410 emergency physicians who participated in a voluntary national survey.
Among the respondents:
- 48% had reduced their clinical working hours;
- 20% had taken time away from emergency medicine;
- 10% had left emergency medicine;
- women and younger physicians reported particularly high levels of burnout.
Because participation was voluntary, the percentages should not be interpreted as representing every emergency physician in Canada. Nevertheless, the findings provide important evidence of workforce strain within emergency medicine. Read the CMAJ study.
The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians has also warned that emergency department overcrowding and hospital access block can create genuine patient-safety risks—not merely longer or less convenient waits. Its latest position statement identifies hospital access block as a central driver of overcrowding. Read the CAEP position statement.
Why Pressure on Emergency Departments Affects Montreal Families
When emergency departments are overcrowded and fewer physicians are available to cover shifts, the effects can extend throughout the healthcare system.
Patients may face longer waits. Families may struggle to decide where to seek help. Seniors and people with disabilities may find a trip to the hospital physically exhausting. Family caregivers may also feel pressured to use the ER because they cannot arrange timely support elsewhere.
This does not mean people should avoid the emergency room when urgent care is needed. It means that families benefit from understanding the different levels of care available and choosing the right resource for the situation.
Appropriate care may include:
- calling Info-Santé 811 for guidance about a non-urgent health concern;
- contacting a family doctor, pharmacist or clinic;
- arranging prescribed blood work outside the hospital;
- receiving nursing or recovery support at home;
- obtaining personal assistance for an older adult;
- calling 911 or going to the ER for a serious or potentially life-threatening condition.
Matching the patient’s needs with the right care setting helps protect the individual while preserving emergency resources for people who need them most.
Home Healthcare Is Part of the Broader Solution
Home healthcare cannot solve Canada’s emergency department crisis by itself, nor is it a replacement for emergency medicine.
However, it can address an important gap between independent living, outpatient care and hospitalization. The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians has identified community-care gaps and inadequate home support as factors contributing to pressure elsewhere in the healthcare system.
Appropriate home healthcare allows certain prescribed, scheduled or continuing services to be delivered where the patient lives. It may help prevent disruptions in care, support safer recovery and allow families to recognize changes before a manageable problem becomes more serious.
For Montreal families, this can be especially helpful in several situations.
- Professional Nursing Support at Home
A person does not always need to return to a hospital for scheduled nursing care.
Depending on the patient’s condition and care plan, a licensed nurse may provide services such as:
- wound care;
- injections;
- medication assistance;
- post-operative monitoring;
- chronic-condition monitoring;
- vital-sign checks;
- catheter or ostomy support;
- patient and caregiver education.
Through private home healthcare services in Montreal, patients can receive suitable nursing support in a familiar environment.
Home nursing is particularly valuable after discharge. The first days at home can be challenging, especially when a patient has limited mobility, a new medication routine or a wound requiring continued attention. Scheduled nursing visits can help families follow the discharge plan and identify concerns that should be reported to the patient’s physician.
- Blood Collection Without Travelling to a Clinic or Hospital
Routine and follow-up blood work is important, but sample collection does not usually need to take place in an emergency department.
For a senior, immunocompromised patient, person with a disability or someone recovering after surgery, travelling to a clinic may be difficult. A home blood test in Montreal allows a licensed nurse to collect the sample at the patient’s residence when there is a valid medical requisition.
A+ Solutions delivers samples to its accredited laboratory partner for processing. This service can help patients complete physician-ordered testing without navigating transportation, parking, stairs or a crowded waiting room.
Home blood collection is not an emergency diagnostic service. Patients with serious or rapidly worsening symptoms should seek urgent medical care rather than wait for a scheduled blood test.
- Health Monitoring for Seniors and Chronic Conditions
Older adults and people living with chronic conditions may need regular observation rather than emergency treatment.
Depending on professional instructions and the individual care plan, support at home may include monitoring:
- blood pressure;
- temperature;
- blood glucose;
- oxygen saturation;
- weight changes;
- medication adherence;
- mobility and fall risk;
- changes in appetite, hydration or behaviour.
Monitoring does not replace assessment by a physician. Its value lies in creating continuity and helping the patient, family and treating professionals notice meaningful changes.
For example, a family caregiver may not know whether a new symptom is significant. A nursing visit can document observations, provide care within the nurse’s professional scope and help the family determine whether the patient’s physician, 811 or emergency services should be contacted.
- Personal Support That Helps Seniors Remain Safe at Home
Health problems are not always purely medical. A senior may be medically stable but unable to bathe safely, prepare meals, move around the home or remember everyday routines without help.
Personal support workers can assist with activities of daily living, including:
- bathing and personal hygiene;
- dressing and grooming;
- mobility and transfers;
- meal assistance;
- companionship;
- safety supervision;
- medication reminders;
- caregiver respite.
This type of personal support and home care in Montreal may reduce some of the risks associated with living alone and relieve pressure on family caregivers.
It can also help families respond earlier. A regular caregiver may notice decreased mobility, confusion, poor appetite or another change and report it before the situation becomes a crisis.
- Safer Recovery After a Hospital Visit
Emergency care is only one stage in a patient’s healthcare journey. What happens after the patient returns home also matters.
Some patients are discharged with instructions that are difficult to manage without assistance. They may need wound care, medication support, mobility help, monitoring or transportation to follow-up appointments.
Coordinated home healthcare in Montreal can help bridge the transition between hospital and home. A care plan may combine licensed nursing with personal support, depending on the patient’s clinical and daily living needs.
The goal is not to discharge patients prematurely or replace necessary hospital treatment. It is to help patients follow professional instructions and recover more safely once they are medically ready to be at home.
Knowing When Home Care Is—and Is Not—Appropriate
One of the most important principles is choosing the right care for the situation.
Home healthcare may be suitable for:
- scheduled nursing treatments;
- physician-ordered blood collection;
- post-hospital recovery support;
- medication assistance;
- chronic-condition monitoring;
- personal care and mobility assistance;
- caregiver respite;
- ongoing senior support.
Seek emergency help for serious or rapidly worsening symptoms
Call 911 or go to the emergency room when a condition may be life-threatening or require immediate hospital assessment. Examples can include:
- chest pain or pressure;
- severe difficulty breathing;
- signs of a stroke;
- loss of consciousness;
- severe bleeding;
- a major injury;
- sudden confusion;
- a severe allergic reaction;
- another serious or rapidly worsening condition.
This is not a complete list. If you are unsure about a non-urgent health problem in Quebec, call Info-Santé 811, option 1, to speak with a nurse. For a serious problem or emergency, the Government of Quebec advises calling 911 or going to the emergency room. Learn about Info-Santé 811.
Supporting Patients While Protecting Emergency Care
Canada’s emergency department challenges cannot be placed on patients, families or individual physicians. Long-term improvements require action throughout the healthcare system, including better hospital capacity, primary care access, long-term care and community services.
At the family level, however, having more appropriate care options can make an immediate difference.
Professional home healthcare can:
- reduce unnecessary travel for scheduled services;
- make care more accessible for seniors and patients with mobility limitations;
- support continuity after hospital discharge;
- help patients complete prescribed tests and treatments;
- provide respite and guidance for caregivers;
- help families identify changes that require further medical attention.
Most importantly, it gives patients another appropriate care setting for needs that can safely be managed at home—while emergency departments remain available for true emergencies.
Home Healthcare Support in Montreal, Laval and the West Island
A+ Solutions Home Health Care provides private nursing, personal support, senior care and home blood collection across Montreal, Laval and the West Island.
Our multidisciplinary team includes OIIQ-registered nurses, OIIAQ-licensed practical nurses and certified personal support workers. Services are planned according to each patient’s needs and do not replace physician care, emergency assessment or hospital treatment.
If you or a family member needs suitable non-emergency support at home, contact A+ Solutions for a free consultation or call 514-999-8009.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can home healthcare replace a hospital emergency department?
No. Home healthcare is intended for appropriate scheduled, continuing or non-emergency services. Anyone experiencing a serious, potentially life-threatening or rapidly worsening condition should call 911 or go to an emergency department.
Can a nurse provide medical care in my Montreal home?
Yes. Depending on the patient’s condition, medical orders and the nurse’s professional scope, home nursing may include wound care, injections, medication assistance, health monitoring and post-operative support.
Can blood tests be completed at home?
Yes. A licensed nurse can collect blood samples at home when the patient has a valid medical requisition. The samples are then transported to an accredited laboratory for processing. Home blood collection is not intended for emergency diagnosis.
Who benefits most from home healthcare?
Home healthcare may benefit seniors, people with limited mobility, patients recovering from surgery or hospitalization, people managing chronic conditions and family caregivers who need professional support.
What should I do if I am unsure whether a condition is urgent?
For a non-urgent health concern in Quebec, call Info-Santé 811, option 1, to speak with a nurse. For a serious or potentially life-threatening problem, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
