The Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union has released a report it says will offer a guide to making long-term care in Nova Scotia sustainable and safe for all involved.
The 76-page “Broken Homes” document looks at the current long-term care system and makes recommendations to address what it says are problems facing residents, nurses and care workers.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia’s long-term care system unsustainable without change: deputy minister
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Union president Janet Hazelton said in a news release that their concerns are primarily about working conditions, safety and staffing.
“Our long-term care homes are a vital part of the health care system, yet they rarely receive the attention required to make them safe and reliable,” she said.
“Now, more than ever, our long-term care system needs government support.”
She also identified a lack of available data to determine nursing home quality as a key issue.
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The NSNU says it surveyed long-term care nurses while developing the report, which characterizes the issues in the sector as “persistent and systemic.”
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Hazelton said “the timing is right” to address the issues in the upcoming renewal of the province’s Continuing Care Strategy.
The union represents almost 7,000 registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses who work in the province.
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