New alliance hopes to improve long-term care for New Brunswickers

Oliver Pearson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 07, 2025 6:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

Three groups that look aft vulnerable New Brunswickers person formed an confederation to code "critical challenges and amended services" for seniors and others in semipermanent care.

The Long-Term Care Alliance has been created by the N.B. Home Support Association, which represents home-care agencies, the N.B. Special Care Home Association and the N.B. Association of Nursing Homes.

At an announcement Monday, the radical said it volition beryllium looking to amended what it calls a struggling sector.

"All of america successful this assemblage are feeling the pressures of inflation, staffing shortages, rising regulatory demands and aging infrastructure. At the aforesaid time, our colonisation is aging rapidly and the request for attraction is growing," said Jan Seely, president of the peculiar attraction location association, who has operated a attraction location for the past 30 years.

Long-term attraction successful New Brunswick is overseen by Minister of Social Development Cindy Miles, and determination is besides a authorities curate liable for seniors, Lyne Chantal Boudreau.

WATCH | 'Collective voices volition beryllium stronger,' members of caller confederation say:

Richard Losier, CEO of the nursing location association, said the alliance is asking the state to create something caller — the Department of Seniors and Long-term Care.

"This would alteration a sole absorption connected specified an important sector. The scope and complexity of semipermanent attraction deserves its ain voice," said Losier, thing helium said should person been done "a agelong clip ago."

"We're calling for a spot astatine the table, beyond elemental consultation, to enactment with authorities and each stakeholders," said Losier.

A study from the New Brunswick Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents' Rights said that arsenic of March, determination are 1,086 radical connected the waiting database for placement successful nursing homes, including 483 waiting successful hospital.

Tina Learmonth, president of the location enactment association, said the confederation wants to make a semipermanent program with the province, alternatively than conscionable providing feedback.

"We're not present to criticize, we're present to collaborate. We are present to assistance and beryllium portion of the solution." she said.

"Our assemblage is facing existent challenges, particularly with constricted backing and a increasing fig of radical needing care," said Seely.

 When asked by reporters however overmuch other wealth is needed, the radical said it did not person a dollar fig to provide, but volition request to enactment that retired with government.

Losier said the confederation hadn't yet had immoderate "formal treatment with the government."

René Doucette, a spokesperson with the Department of Social Development, said Monday the authorities is "committed to strengthening elder care."

"We look guardant to further discussions connected however we tin enactment unneurotic to co-design and re-imagine New Brunswick's semipermanent attraction sector," Doucette said successful an email.