The Department of Social Development has announced two 60-bed nursing home facilities for Saint John and Moncton just one day after the Coalition for Seniors released the data showing more than 700 people are on the waiting list for a bed in the province.
Minister Bruce Fitch announced it at a Shannex facility on Friday.
“This new nursing home in Moncton will be an important asset to help meet the increased demand due to our aging population,” Fitch said.
In Moncton, a site has yet to be selected but construction will start next summer and the nursing home should open by 2023. In Saint John, the nursing home will be built on the Parkland Saint John campus in Millidgeville.
There are currently 70 licensed nursing homes, according to the department. The province wants to increase the number of homes to 80, or an additional 600 beds.
Nursing shortage part of the problem
However, on Thursday, seniors advocate Cecile Cassista told Global News that without proper staffing levels, getting people off the list and providing adequate care won’t be possible.
For months, even long before the strains of the coronavirus pandemic, the New Brunswick Nurses Union has been sounding the alarm on the nursing shortage.
“One contributing factor for lengthy waitlists at nursing homes is the registered nurse shortage in our long-term care sector; however, it is not the only factor,” said New Brunswick Nurses Union president Paula Doucet.
She said unfortunately due to the shortages, many nursing homes are habitually violating the Nursing Home Act by not having a registered nurse in the building at all times.
“Building more nursing homes without a meaningful and robust plan to recruit RNs to the province and into the long-term care sector are sadly new builds that will sit empty due to the lack of human resources,” she said.
She said seniors in the province deserve better.
Increased patient time
In addition to announcing the new nursing homes, the province said it gradually increases the amount of time nursing staff can spend with each resident per day.
It plans to increase it to 3.2 hours per resident per day in October 2021 and up to 3.3 in April 2022.
This initiative will include an increase of $15 million in the annual budget for nursing home services, according to the department.
When asked on Friday whether he thought 3.3 hours per day was enough time for adequate care, Fitch said he was “addressing the needs of the residents.”