A re-elected Liberal Government will develop a comprehensive strategy for the recruitment of employees in the nursing home sector and increase the hours of care from 3.1 hours to 3.3 hours by 2022, with a further increase to 3.5 hours by 2026.

Gallant said that a re-elected Liberal Government, recognizing the increasing complexity of needs of nursing home residents and the need for flexibility in hours of care for different types of patients, will phase in an increase to hours of care from 3.1 hours today to 3.3 hours by 2022, with a further increase to 3.5 hours by 2026.

“It is encouraging to see both a commitment to recruitment of staff, and an increase in hours of care,” said Sharon Teare, President of the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions. “By supporting those working in the nursing home sector, we believe our seniors will continue to receive excellent care and quality of life. Our members continue to serve their residents with care, compassion, and respect, and we look forward to future commitments in improving our working conditions.”

Under the Gallant Government’s five-year Nursing Home Plan, the provincial government will also build 10 new 60-bed nursing homes totalling 600 new nursing home beds, add an additional 407 memory care beds, and invest over $100 million in renovations to existing homes. The Gallant Government is also working with key partners to intensify recruitment efforts and bring more healthcare professionals to the province.

“Investing to increase the time that staff can care for each resident will also create a better workplace that will help us recruit more registered nurses, licensed nurse practitioners, and resident attendants to help care for seniors in New Brunswick,” added Gallant.

The Gallant Liberal’s plan for nursing home construction and renovations is part of a broader provincial approach to aging. The Gallant Government has developed and is implementing a comprehensive Aging Strategy as well as a Home First Strategy to help keep seniors in their homes as long as possible. The latter includes the creation of new tax credits to allow seniors to renovate their homes, a new informal caregiver tax credit for those who care for aging family members, and investments in more affordable housing.

Providing access to quality healthcare in all corners of New Brunswick is one of the most important public services that government provides. Through record investments and an overall budget increase of 9.8 percent since 2014, the Liberal Government has demonstrated its commitment to quality and accessible healthcare. Beyond making significant investments to healthcare infrastructure around the province, as well as committing to maintain services in rural areas, the Gallant Liberals have made other significant improvements to New Brunswick’s healthcare system:

• The hiring of over 300 new doctors, meaning over 90 net new doctors, bringing New Brunswick’s rate of access to family doctors up to 95 percent, the highest score in the country;
• The empowerment and addition of more healthcare professionals such as nurse practitioners, advanced care paramedics, and midwives;
• An investment of $75-million and a partnership with the federal government to create an aging pilot program in New Brunswick designed to improve the quality of life of seniors.