New Brunswick must fix staffing shortages in nursing homes, says union leader [video]

The New Brunswick government announced this week that it is inviting operators of all 71 nursing homes in the province to express their interest in joining its “Nursing Homes Without Walls” program.

The pilot project is meant to assist seniors who live at home by providing certain services. But the president of the union representing nursing home workers questions how the program will work given ongoing staff shortages.

“Look, I’m gonna tell you, in theory, I love this idea,” said Sharon Teare, president of the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions, noting that it could help residents remain in their homes.

“But now we have to take in consideration, how beneficial is that program? And what kind of strain will it … put onto the staffing crisis that New Brunswick nursing homes are facing?”

Check out the full interview with reporter Arun Budhathoki: 

She said the province is facing extreme staff shortages, and this is continuing to worsen.

According to Teare, there are more than 300 vacancies within the nursing home system.

“Now within five years, we have a 400 that are projected to retire,” she said, citing a poll carried out by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

For a program like Nursing Homes Without Walls to work, she said, “I think we really have to take a hard look at the retention and recruitment.”

The government is expected to expand the program to 16 locations by 2023, which will emerge in spring and fall.

In an email statement to the NB Media Co-op, a Department of Social Development spokesperson said: “The Department is certainly aware of the staffing-related challenges that long-term care is facing. We are actively working with partners like the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes, the regional health authorities, and Department of Health to explore solutions. Among the initiatives taking place, we are working with our partners to ensure active representation at multiple job fairs online and in person.”

In terms of wages, spokesperson Rebecca Howland said: “Last year, $12.4M was invested in wage increases for over 10,000 workers in the human service sector. This included home support workers, community residence workers, special care home workers, and family support workers.”

Arun Budhathoki is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).