The government of New Brunswick is in the worst financial situation since the last election. The current government is now looking for avenues to cut in order to bring this province back to at least a balanced budget.

Here’s an idea. If the government is looking for efficiencies, let’s begin with the cost of admitting one person per day in the hospital. By all conservative estimates the cost for each individual admitted to hospital is approximately $1000.00/day- $1200.00/day. These costs include wages for nurses, other health employees, food, room, etc.

There are now a number of individuals living in hospitals in this province simply because there are no nursing home beds or special care beds available to these individuals. However, institutionalization cannot be the answer to the growing shortage of available beds for seniors and others who are in need of care services. It is far too expensive and really the government cannot sustain institutionalization. Here’s another idea. The majority of people want to remain in their homes if it is at all possible. Studies have shown that individuals maintain a better quality of life if they are in their own homes. If people wish to stay in their homes, doesn’t that reduce the need for nursing homes and special care homes?

It seems that there are currently 1500 empty beds in special care homes at the moment. If there are that many empty beds, does that not show the government that people are not choosing this type of care? I think it’s time the government listened to the people of New Brunswick. They know what they want and they want to stay at home!

I know of a woman who was receiving Home Support Services in her home for over a year. Her health deteriorated and now she has been living in the hospital in Miramichi for more than a year. Let’s figure out this bill for the government. 365 days at $1000.00/day to $1200.00/day is costing the province of New Brunswick and its taxpayers approximately $365 000 to $438 000 per year.

At the current pricing for Home Support Services of $15.00/ hour, that same lady could be in her own home with one on one personal care 24 hours per day for a cost of $131 400/per year. That is a savings of approximately 30% to 36%. How is this government justifying these huge expenses for health care?

Home Support Services are the most EFFICIENT service for care that we currently have. The current government would like to give Home Support Agencies in the province a $1.00 raise for the bill rate effective October 1, 2011. This $1.00 raise will not cover mandatory deductions on payroll thereby decreasing the amount of available funds for training and education for employees, thereby reducing the number of individuals who will remain as Home Support Workers. This will reduce the quality and delivery of care to our current seniors and those with disabilities who depend on this invaluable service.

This is a vicious cycle that needs to end here and now. The question is before you. Do you want to save money and bring New Brunswick back to a place where we can compete within a global economy? If your answer is yes, then Home Support Services is where these dollars should be.
I would encourage anyone who is receiving Home Support Services or those who have family members using this service to contact their local MLAs to discuss any concerns they may have.

Did you know that by October 1, 2011 all Home Support Workers in the province of New Brunswick need to be fully trained and/or educated by a provincially certified/approved Personal Support Worker Course?

As a person who worked in partnership with the Department of Social Development in developing an acceptable /approved curriculum, I was shocked to learn that not only was the training and education part of Home Support Services not adopted and implemented by the province, but that most individuals working in Home Support Services industry (most not trained formally) would now be terminated as employees with the new initiative brought down by this new government.

How do you then break the news to your employee that even though you’ve accumulated many years of valuable experience and you have dedicated your life’s work to helping care for the seniors of this province and others who require care? But that’s OK!! You are not formally trained or certified and the government of NB will not allow you to work in Home Support Services for the Department of Social Development. And now what? Do I, as a business owner, have to now terminate this valuable employee? Did you know that most individuals working within the Home Support Industry are women making little more than minimum wage? Most of these women, while they have a tremendous /vast amount of priceless experience, have no formal educational training. Some of these women have very low levels of literacy and numeracy. By most standards these women would be considered “working poor.” But at least they get up every day and attempt to make an honest living doing one of the most demanding and stressful jobs so that people who need Home Support Services can experience and maintain their quality of life.

Now I, as their employer, have to tell them, “Sorry, you need to be trained by October 1, 2011 or you will not be able to keep your job?”

This is a sad statement on the part of the government. Why weren’t these individuals given an opportunity to improve their educational focus in Home Support?

So what is the solution for these women who have dedicated themselves to this profession? Fast food? Retail? It seems we have enough of an unemployment problem in this province. Are we now going to put these caregivers out of work? What will happen to them now? Will they then become recipients of a monthly Social Services cheque? Can our government afford to put more people on this system?

It seems to me if you are looking for efficiencies for this province; your current solution/thought process is not the answer to moving New Brunswick forward and balancing the next budget.