The Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Homes Residents
Rights is pleased to submit the following response to better serve the needs of
New Brunswickers:
1.
What does a thriving New Brunswick look like
to you 10 years from now?
a.
A vision with a focus on a healthy thriving workforce, i.e. putting
people back to work with worthy wages,
lift people out of poverty, provide affordable housing, and education
opportunities.
b.
Ensure that all seniors have a voice in their care, the ability to
select and live in their community of choice in affordable housing, or coop-housing
and with trained staff in a ratio that meets the needs of the elderly
population.
c) Rework the Public Transit model,
a social justice issue, to meet the needs of the population, i.e. our youth,
working people and the aging population.
2.
Thinking of all of the things
government spends money on to provide the residents of New Brunswick with
services, what are three things that you think government could stop doing to
save money?
a) Streamline top level bureaucrats
with comparable income, and remove all bonuses, incentives and free grants to
corporations.
b) One of
the major issues facing seniors and the health care system is the number of
seniors staying in acute hospital beds while waiting for nursing care placement
and the lack of a home care program. Incorporate home support workers
under the auspices of the Regional Health Authority in order to provide for
improved home care support. Return to the Graham government strategy on
increasing nursing home beds for those who are on the wait- list. (Study
already done).
c) There are 64 licensed nursing
homes in the province's eight regions with 4427 beds. They are formed under the
provinces Companies Act, as non-profit organizations. Many nursing homes receive 85 -100% funding
from government. Executive Directors could be responsible for twenty (20) or
more beds. This would alleviate added costs to government and administration of
the home.
3.
With all of the financial challenges facing
our province, what three things do you think government
could do to raise money?
a) Establish Toll highways at
critical points of entry to the province.
b)
Implement the Public Auto Insurance program that will create jobs
and invest money in the province in place of off shore jobs. This model was supported
by all political parties in 2004. (Final
Report on Public Automobile Insurance in New Brunswick, April 2004) First Session
Fifty- fifth legislature).
c) The cost to keep seniors in Acute
Hospital beds is an enormous burden to taxpayers, ($1000 per day per patient).
A home care model as established in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the seniors’
portfolio to be the responsibility of the Department of Health.
Some medical buildings within the province could be modified to
accommodate seniors who are currently occupying Acute Hospital beds, which
would create job opportunities with in the system.
The aging population is
growing; the number of seniors (over 65) is expected to increase dramatically
over the next 25 years. Eliminating
services to the aging population is unacceptable; this will only create undue
hardship and be more costly at the end of the day.
The
Coalition respectfully requests that serious consideration be given to this
submission and that the present government start listening to the voices of New
Brunswickers.
Respectfully
submitted
On behalf of
the Coalition Board of Directors
Cecile
Cassista
Cecile
Cassista
Executive
Director
