Efforts are ongoing across the province to help ensure Nova Scotians who need support and care from the continuing care system receive timely and quality services that meet their unique needs at home, in the community or in a long-term care facility.
The Department of Seniors and Long-term Care is working to expand access to long-term care and home care with investments in people, technology and infrastructure. The department is working closely with its partners, including the continuing care sector (home care agencies, long-term care facilities and others), Health Association Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Health, various government departments and offices, Aware-NS (Nova Scotia Health and Community Services Safety Association), the Canadian Red Cross, and others.
This is being achieved by:
- Decreasing wait times and waitlist volume for long-term care and home care through investments in people, equipment/technology and infrastructure.
- Strengthening home and community care by exploring innovative care strategies and funding models that allow more flexibility and choice for people and their caregivers.
Government investments and initiatives to date include:
- Free, practical nursing diploma program for continuing care assistants (CCAs)
- Free tuition, books and other costs for 2,000 CCA students over two years:
- We exceeded our target of 1,000 free CCA spaces in the first year, with more than 1,200 students enrolled.
- Investing in workplace safety initiatives, such as equipment that reduces workplace injuries, and establishing an Employee and Family Assistance Program and a Return to Work/Stay at Work Program.
- Working towards establishing a standard of 4.1 hours of care for each nursing home resident each day.
- Recruiting nationally and internationally.
- Long-term care facilities have moved to a funding model that is protected and unprotected. This ensures that money that is supposed to go toward direct care staffing and food costs gets used for its intended purpose. The department is working closely with facilities during the transition to ensure successful implementation.
- Adding 1,200 new rooms to the long-term care system and improving 2,300 rooms throughout the province.
- Helping people stay in their homes longer by:
- Expanding home care and investing in new programs (like Capable) to better tailor supports to meet individual needs.
- Creating the Seniors Care Grant to help cover health care and household services costs.
