An independent review of New Brunswick’s long-term care system is being welcomed by a seniors’ advocate.
But Cecile Cassista said she is worried the report and its recommendations will just end up sitting on a shelf.
“Governments do not have to accept the recommendations,” said Cassista, executive director of the Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents’ Rights.
“There is no mandatory provision for the seniors’ advocate’s recommendations to be accepted and I struggle with that.”
Child, Youth and Seniors’ Advocate Kelly Lamrock announced Monday that his office would undertake a systemic review of the long-term care system.
The review will look at the needs of the long-term care system in the areas of governance, portability, human resources, quality and security, and quality of life for New Brunswickers.
“It’s one of the areas that we hear the most from New Brunswickers on is the long-term care system, both availability and quality,” Lamrock told reporters.
Lamrock said there is an urgency to this review given the current strain on our health-care system — a statement Cassista agrees with.
“We have too many folks who need a spot in long-term care, who should be aging at home or in a dedicated specialized community-based placement, and they’re in hospital beds,” said Lamrock.
Staff in hospitals are being “run ragged” trying to provide the kind of dedicated care that seniors would receive in a special care home or nursing home, he said.
According to Cassista, there were 811 people waiting for a nursing home placement as of December, with 444 of them waiting in a hospital.
“That’s just no place for someone to make their home,” said Cassista.
The advocate said there are a couple of key issues she would like to see addressed as part of the review.
First is a reform of the province’s home care program, which she said has not been working for several years.
“I’ve suggested, on behalf of the coalition, to government that they should be looking at the models that are out there,” said Cassista.
“Manitoba has a model that’s been there since 1974. Saskatchewan has had one since 1978. Those are models that we should be looking that and we’re not doing that.”
Cassista would also like to see seniors transferred out of the Department of Social Development into the Department of Health or a department of their own.
“When you’re in the hospital, that’s health. Mental health is health. But seniors, for some odd reason, are under Social Development,” she said.
“Social Development is a huge, huge department. It deals with a lot of things. With an aging population in New Brunswick, we need to have a dedicated department.”
The review will be supported by an advisory group, which will be announced in the coming days. There will also be a public engagement component to the review.
Lamrock will provide a final report with recommendations by October.
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