According to the most recent data from the provincial department of Social Development, 485 New Brunswickers were hospitalized while awaiting placement in a long-term care homes in October.
New Brunswick Nurses Union president Paula Doucet said the number one issue causing delays for patients to be placed into nursing homes is staffing.
“The nursing homes that we have now are struggling to maintain a safe staffing level,” she said on Monday.
“And in many instances there are beds that are not being utilized because of the staffing shortage.”
The province is currently in negotiations with the union representing nursing home workers.
In September, the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions filed for conciliation after talks broke down over wages.
On Monday, Liberal leader Susan Holt said raising wages would be key to cutting down wait times.
“They can’t find people willing to do this important and hard work for the wages available. If we’re not caring for the people caring for us how can we expect care?” she said.
She added her party is eager to see the results of a long-term care review currently underway by the Child, Youth and Seniors’ Advocate.
Green Party Leader David Coon said salaries for care home workers needed to be raised in order to make it a viable career.
“The premier and his minister responsible for Social Development need to decide that this staffing requires significant new investment to provide salaries that will attract new nursing home workers and retain those that are there,” he said.
A representative for Social Development e-mailed Global News a statement outlining various measures underway: “Social Development staff are an integral part of teams in regional hospitals now and they help find the right solutions for those waiting for a nursing home. These solutions could include interim placements or safe home support options,” the statement read.
Interim placements refer to a patient on the waiting list getting placed at a nursing home within a 100 km radius of where they reside, while they wait for a spot to open up at their preferred nursing home. This doesn’t have an impact on their place on the waiting list at the nursing home of their choice.
Doucet said interim placements aren’t an ideal solution because this makes it hard for families to visit or assist the patient because they’re further away than they planned.