Advocate announces review of New Brunswick long-term care system

New Brunswick’s child, youth and seniors advocate is gearing up for a review of the province’s long-term care system.

Kelly Lamrock says a combination of ongoing issues prompted the review.

"It's been depressingly normal to see folks who aren't getting the care they need in the place they need,” Lamrock said.

Dorothy Shephard, New Brunswick’s minister of social development, says government is “happy” Lamrock will delve into the issues.

“It's something we've been working on for a while, to understand how we bring forward senior care and make that evolution,” Shepard said.

Pockets of excellence and pockets of concern is how special care home advisor Ken McGeorge describes the province's long-term care system.

"We need to do some overhaul with long-term care,” said McGeorge. "I've been pushing for government to take a real comprehensive view of long-term care for a long time, this is so long overdue,” he said.

The New Brunswick Liberal party says it wants to see action from the review.

"We see what's happening all over the province, and for us, it’s a question of choice,” said Liberal MLA Robert Gauvin.

“Seniors have to stay in hospitals, [it’s] not their choice, seniors can't afford their homes anymore, not their choice, seniors have to go in homes because they have nobody to take care of them, not their choice, it's a question of choices,” Gauvin said.

Increasing staffing for long-term care homes will be one focus of the review, said Lamrock.

"If we want to raise the standards of what people have to do, and I think to increase community-level care we're going to have to,” Lamrock said.

“That has to be part of how do we train them, how do we recruit them, how do we keep them, and even there, there are different rules in the nursing home sector and the special care home sector,” he said.

Shephard says better wages are needed.

"We need to get as many people interested in the senior care sector as possible,” she said.

The Office of the Advocate says it will provide the Department of Social Development with a final report by October.