Three long-term care organizations in New Brunswick have joined forces to address growing challenges in the sector.
The New Brunswick Home Support Association, the New Brunswick Special Care Home Association, and the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes have formed the Long-Term Care Alliance of New Brunswick.
The alliance aims to push for urgent reforms to improve services for seniors and vulnerable individuals across the province.
Richard Losier, CEO of the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes, said a dedicated Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care would help drive progress.
“If we want to see the needle moving faster, we have to have a dedicated team with dedicated partners to build a better and comprehensive long-term care plan,” said Losier.
The alliance explained approximately 17,000 seniors and vulnerable people live in special care homes, nursing homes, or receive care at home in New Brunswick, with numbers growing rapidly.
Tina Learmonth, president of the New Brunswick Home Support Association, says smoother transitions in care are essential.
“It may be surprising to many that an individual in the long-term care program often has to start over repeatedly,” Learmonth said.
“We would like to see a world where families can navigate a system where everyone’s talking together—and it’s just easier.”
Jan Seely, president of the New Brunswick Special Care Home Association, also highlighted the urgency of reform.
“I know long-term care and seniors often don’t light a fire under people, but we’re all going to get there someday. And many of us that are there now are unnecessarily suffering from a system that is not serving them as well as it could,” said Seely.
The alliance is calling on the provincial government to co-design a long-term care plan tailored to New Brunswick’s needs.
Their proposals include addressing staffing shortages, improving infrastructure, and creating a standalone department focused solely on seniors and long-term care.
They say collaboration is vital to ensuring a system that provides dignity, stability, and seamless care for the province’s aging population.
