Recommendations made by the advisory panel on long-term care is receiving a positive response locally and provincially.
The Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association stated in a release that it is encouraged with the release of the recommendations.
“We applaud the panel members for the extensive stakeholder engagement achieved in such a short period of time and we thank the residents, families and staff who shared their knowledge, opinions and personal experiences,” says Michele Lowe, managing director of the provincial association. “We are cautiously optimistic that these recommendations, many of which have already been presented to government over the past several years by our association, will be fully endorsed by the Department of Health and Wellness and the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Lowe explains nursing homes across the province have strategized and collaborated within the sector for many years to create a vision for long-term care that puts the resident/client at the centre of a compassionate and caring model, and as indicated in the report, there is substantial investment needed by the Nova Scotia Department of Health & Wellness to ensure nursing homes have the resources and services necessary to deliver the best care possible.
The provincial association, whose member nursing homes serve thousands of Nova Scotians, applauded the panel for addressing the looming staffing crisis which they agree requires immediate action and financial support.
“A provincial recruitment and retention strategy is long overdue,” says Lowe. “It is unacceptable that our current system has not fully supported the caring and dedicated workforce who only want the very best for their clients and have chosen such an important and honourable profession.”
Lisa Smith, CEO for Glen Haven Manor in New Glasgow, said she too was encouraged by the recommendations.
“We owe a great deal to our elders as the pillars of our communities and they deserve the very best of personal care, compassion and dignity in every stage and chapter of their lives,” she said. “We certainly welcome and look forward to increased investments and provincial strategies that would enable us to enhance care, increase staffing and to support our commitment to a culture of quality, safety and diversity.”
She said the approach of achieving immediate short-term goals as well as medium and long-term ones is critical and she said they will be working with the Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association to communicate to the Department of Health & Wellness their top priorities.
