FREDERICTON (GNB) – Auditor General Kim Adair-MacPherson tabled an update report today, on the lack of progress addressing New Brunswick nursing home demand and the aging strategy. The scope of this work was unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was disappointed to find significant delays in the implementation of nursing home plans since our 2016 report. In my view, the province is failing to address the nursing home capacity demand. The province is not ready for the increase in seniors requiring placement in a residential facility,” Adair-MacPherson said.

The report highlighted that although some beds have been added, there remains a long waitlist for nursing home placements causing pressure on hospitals and additional related costs.

The report found that although the Department of Social Development did develop a 10-year aging strategy in consultation with the Department of Health, it failed to develop an appropriate implementation plan. Furthermore, the findings indicate a lack of reporting of useful information against the aging strategy and nursing home plan by the department.

For instance, the department reported 35 per cent of the aging strategy action items as implemented, however, the report found that many action items are not measurable, and the completion status of certain action items was inaccurate.

The auditor general made five new recommendations and restated an existing recommendation from her 2016 report addressing issues in the areas of reviewing the nursing home plan, the development of performance indicators with specific targets, and public reporting.

The full report including this chapter is available online.

 

23-02-21