Hundreds of New Brunswick seniors continue to sit on the waitlist for a long-term care bed and despite the slow progress, Horizon Health Network says it has made in the last four years, advocate says more work needs to be done.
Cecile Cassista, executive director with the Coalition for Seniors, released data she’s been tracking since 2017 Thursday.
As of May, she said, 705 people are on the waiting list for a nursing home bed. About 56 per cent of those are living in the hospital, according to Cassista’s records. She said there hasn’t been much change to the list since 2017.
READ MORE: N.B. Coalition for Seniors rep has ‘mixed feelings’ about new nursing home announcement https://globalnews.ca/news/7662449/nb-coalition-for-seniors-new-nursing-home/
“There is a big picture out there that I’m hoping that the Minister of Social Development will take a serious look at,” she said in an interview June 17. “It’s a big department, and I’m not asking for everything overnight, but certainly there are some key components that need to be looked at.”
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In March 2020, the Higgs government started moving alternative level of care beds out of the hospital and into nursing homes due to the pandemic. It was to avoid any further strain on the health-care system if a surge in cases or hospitalizations.
However, the Department of Social Development said it has stopped that process.
READ MORE: New Brunswick’s auditor general warns of crisis in nursing home sector
“The department did this by stopping admissions to nursing homes from the community and only allowed from the hospital,” said department spokesperson Jeremy Trevors. “These efforts do not work long term as it put pressure on family caregivers in the community.”
Cecile Cassista
Executive Director
Coalition for Seniors
and Nursing Home Residents ‘Rights
107 Summerdale Ct
Riverview, NB
E1BOV1
506 850 8286
Tweeter—@CassistaCecile
Coalitionnb.blogspot.com