Nanaimo District Hospital Foundation is asking for donations to establish a Senior Friendly Emergency Unit at Nanaimo Hospital. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

specialized services

New senior-focused Nanaimo ER ‘really big part’ of improving NRGH wait times

Nov 21, 2025 | 5:25 AM

NANAIMO — A first-of-its-kind facility in the province is envisioned to not only improve healthcare options for local seniors, but also reduce emergency room wait times and congestion.

Nanaimo District Hospital Foundation (NDHF) is actively fundraising for a Senior Friendly Emergency Unit, to be located on the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) campus, geared towards the needs of those 65 and older.

Foundation CEO Barney Ellis-Perry told NanaimoNewsNOW once open by fall next year, the facility would increase comfort and reduce stress for senior patients, many of whom spend countless hours in less-than-ideal conditions.

“It’s designed to be quieter, have lower lights, not have the sort of chaotic pace of the regular emergency department. There wouldn’t be TV shows about emergency if they weren’t chaotic and crazy.”

Around 35 per cent of visits to Nanaimo’s emergency department are from seniors aged 65-years-old and up.

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Ellis-Perry said for some, especially those with dementia, being in a loud and chaotic environment for any length of time can worsen their symptoms and health outcomes.

Spending extended periods of time on firm hospital beds can also exacerbate skin, muscle and bone ailments, Ellis-Perry said.

“We’re putting them into higher quality beds that are much softer and designed for that. If someone is frail and less mobile, it’s hard for them to get onto the exam table or to get into the hospital bed, or to get out of the waiting chair.”

The planned facility is one of three projects covered by the foundation’s winter campaign, with the goal of raising $2.3 million over the coming months.

Approximately $1.2 million is earmarked towards equipment and other needs for the Seniors ER, while $600,000 will go towards creating a new care clinic at nearby Nanaimo Public Health Unit on Grant Ave.

The care clinic would focus on wound care and those needing regular visits to NRGH for non-blood related infusions.

Ellis-Perry said both facilities would help divert people away from the hospital’s busy emergency department, providing more specialized care, while reducing wait times for those requiring more immediate attention.

“We’re trying to really build out the services that this community needs,” Ellis-Perry said. “We, frankly, have a health care infrastructure deficit…we’re really behind, and in order to improve our emergency room services, we see this ER as a really big part of it, but we’re also trying to make sure that people don’t ever have to come to the ER.”

Ellis-Perry credits the Nanaimo-based Seniors ER initiative to Rebecca McGregor, an NRGH clinical operations director and and emergency room nurse.

He said McGregor came to them with a vision and they’ve worked closely with her to make it happen.

A third project in Oceanside has a fundraising goal of $500,000, which involves supporting the new Parksville Treatment Centre for mental health and addictions recovery services.

The Foundation’s annual Light the Trees event is Nov. 28 outside the main hospital entrance on Dufferin Cres., marking a major milestone during the winter campaign.

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