Nursing homes in Nova Scotia say the latest round of budget cuts is placing a burden on staff and leading to fewer outings for residents.
Representatives from four nursing homes were at Province House on Thursday to explain the impacts of the back-to-back budget cuts on their facilities.
The government’s April budget included a $3.1 million cut to long-term care facilities, while at the same time spending more money on home care. The cut hit 106 of the province’s 132 publicly funded nursing homes and follows other cuts levelled on long-term care homes in last year’s budget.
READ MORE: Budget cuts forcing possible fee hikes at Northwood
Cumulatively the cuts are a “record” hit to long-term care facilities, according to Oakwood Terrace administrator Anthony Taylor.
“Its incredibly difficult to operate on a long-term basis,” Taylor said.
No longer back-filling staff: Oakwood Terrace
In addition to reducing reception staff and a scheduling clerk’s position, Taylor said the Dartmouth nursing home has stopped back-filling staff when someone calls in sick.
“Residents see little direct impact, but it’s the stress we’re putting on staff. Staff are doing more with less,” Taylor said.
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If the government levels more cuts on nursing homes next year then some would “struggle to operate as a business, full stop,” Taylor warned.
Fewer resident outings: OceanView Manor
The 177 residents at OceanView Manor in Eastern Passage aren’t seeing a change in their food or care, but its president and CEO Dion Mouland says the budget cuts do have an impact.
The nursing home also isn’t replacing sick calls meaning residents have fewer options for outings, Mouland said. For example, he said some residents might not be able to get to church services on Sunday, because staff aren’t able to bring them.
“It’s more difficult to porter people to our chapel if you have less staff,” he said.
The nursing home has also had to lay off its human resources manager and reduced their director of care and public relations positions, Mouland said. If more layoffs are required, he said OceanView might have to relinquish its accreditation because it doesn’t have enough staff to implement the accreditation standards.
Staff shortage affecting level of care: Saint Vincent’s Nursing Home
At Saint Vincent’s in Halifax, the nursing home isn’t able to fully staff its shifts, and on the weekends agency staff are called in, said executive director Angela Berrette.
“It doesn’t provide the same level of care to our (residents), when they don’t have the same staff on each day caring for them,” she said.
“We’ve cut every area that we’ve been able to. Going forward there’s nothing left to cut.”
Cuts not directly affecting residents: Premier
Citing no change in the quality of food or quality of care for residents, Premier Stephen McNeil said he’s “encouraged by the fact that services to the clients have not changed.”
However, he said Health Minister Leo Glavine is in contact with nursing homes across the province and the concerns raised will be taken into account.
“We felt the adjustments we were making would not impact on residents and they confirmed that today,” he said. “They have said though it puts a lot of pressure on staffing and some staffing issues, we will look at that and address that as we go forward in the next budget.”
Glavine said he’d be “very concerned” if a nursing home is forced to forgo accreditation. He said the government is reviewing the cuts and the “difficulties” that nursing homes are facing.
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