John Grass, Owner of Grass Home Special Care home (left) and Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch make an announcement in Riverview (Image by Robert Lothian)
Adult residential facilities in the province will receive a financial boost for operational costs, the Government of New Brunswick announced on Thursday afternoon.
a retroactive payment of $20.1 million will be made for this fiscal year. Starting in 2023, a permanent increase of $27.4 million will begin, accounting for an increase of $10 per resident per day.
“They provide that essential service that allows the adults with a disability and seniors to get the care that they need in their own communities and thus avoiding more costly hospitalization or a placement in a nursing home,” Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch said to a small crowd standing outside the Grass Home seniors’ residential facility in Riverview.
Fitch said these additional funds will alleviate the pressure of rising operational costs.
About 7,000 New Brunswick residents rely on the 475 adult residential facilities across the province.
The province said the investment will raise the total annual budget per diem in adult residential facilities to about $197 million in 2023.
Fitch said they will also increase the hours of care in nursing homes to 3.3 hours per resident in April, which represents an annual increase of $15 million.
