The impending closure of two New Brunswick special care homes The announcement by the province this week is raising fears that vulnerable residents will be driven away and face a lonely winter away from their families.
Robert Govin, Liberal critic for social development, said Friday residents of homes in Naeguac, N.B., whose licenses were revoked, should not be moved until “a good solution” is found.
“It’s not a good situation to move the elderly away because people probably have to drive 20 minutes or an hour to see their relatives, which now they only have to drive like two minutes,” he said.
“The reality of the Acadian Peninsula where those homes are located – during the winter – can be very difficult to travel on some days.”
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The Department of Social Development said on Tuesday it had revoked the homes’ operating licences, leaving 29 residents and their families struggling to find new places to live ahead of the facilities’ closure on February 17. Residents are seniors and adults with special needs. ,
A news release from the department said residents of Villa Neguac and Foyer St. Bernard, as well as their families, have been notified of the decision. It added that the process is underway to relocate residents to other homes in the northeastern part of the province where beds are available.
Department spokeswoman Rebecca Howland said privacy laws prevent the government from disclosing the reasons for revoking licenses. “We are not in a position to elaborate on the nature of the breach and the investigation that has taken place,” she said. Social Development Minister Dorothy Shepherd was not available for interview.
Holland said 13 residents have found new places to live.
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She said the last inspection for homes was done between November and December 2021 and was valid for one year. He said that he was not renewed in 2022 due to the ongoing investigation.
“When an investigation is underway it indicates that there are serious concerns with quality standards of care not being met and they have risen to the level that an investigation is warranted,” Howland said.
“The purpose of an investigation is to confirm or refute allegations of non-compliance with established standards and practices.”
Inspection reports from 2014 and 2021 for the 23-bed Foyer St. Bernard and the 30-bed Villa Neguac are online, but Green Party leader David Coon said it was difficult to gauge from the reports if there were any major problems with the homes.
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“You would not get the impression that they were at risk of having their permits revoked,” he said, adding that there was no reason the government could not move forward.
“The veil of secrecy is unacceptable,” he said.
He added that greater transparency on inspections and problems faced by these homes would reassure families and patients. Having detailed reports of what went wrong puts pressure on owners to fix problems and reduce quality, he said.
“If it was public knowledge that some services and some long-term care homes were not meeting grades, that would be positive by all means.”
Howell said the government does not take lightly the revocation of the license of any long-term care facility. “When the department cannot be assured that operators can comply with provincial standards, it has no choice but to revoke licenses to protect residents.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on January 20, 2023.
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