Care Crisis: Seniors Need 4 Hours Daily, Get Just 3

New Brunswick's nursing homes are experiencing a severe staffing crisis, with residents often waiting until late at night for essential care. Peter Oliver, a resident at Kings Way Care Centre, highlights the daily struggles, noting that staff are "stretched too thin" and "continually being paged from other rooms." Residents may wait until 10 p.m. to be helped to bed, impacting their comfort and health.

The province is falling short of a national push for at least four hours of direct care per resident daily. While Nova Scotia and Ontario meet this benchmark, New Brunswick provides only 3.09 hours. This lack of adequate staffing means residents sometimes receive just one bath per week, regardless of the season. The New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes calls this ratio the biggest challenge facing long-term care.

In response, the province announced a $993-million investment for new long-term care beds and services for 2026-2027, alongside a $2.6 million commitment to increase care hours starting in January. However, critics argue the increase amounts to only about six minutes per day per resident, which is "grossly insufficient."

Leaders in the sector emphasize the physically and emotionally demanding nature of care roles, leading to staff burnout. They also point to an outdated funding model from the 1980s that fails to meet the current needs of residents, who often have greater care requirements upon admission. There is a call for a future-oriented approach to care delivery and funding to support an aging population.