Opposition critics question cuts to long-term care homes in Nova Scotia
Posted Nov 16, 2016 12:33:36 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Opposition critics raised questions today about the province’s cuts of $8.2 million over two years to long-term care facilities across Nova Scotia.
Dr. Peter Vaughan, the deputy health minister, told the public accounts committee that cuts have fallen on 103 out of 134 facilities, most of them nursing homes for the extremely aged.
He said the facilities are working to “meet efficiencies” in overhead costs, though some smaller homes are needing extra assistance from the province to find a way to make the required budget reductions.
Dave Wilson, an NDP member of the committee, said during the hearing he has difficulty understanding why the cost of the cutbacks had to be passed on to the front-line caregivers that are already struggling to meet care needs.
Tim Houston, a Progressive Conservative critic, said he’s worried about homes that are having difficulty meeting the one per cent cuts without harming services.
Vaughan says simply adding more staff won’t solve some of the issues of care at the long-term homes, including the auditor general’s concerns over the number of inspectors available to check the homes.
