New Brunswick long-term care unprepared for next generation of aging seniors

FREDERICTON — New Brunswick will need to rethink its long-term care offerings to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse population, the province’s seniors’ advocate says in a report released Wednesday.

Kelly Lamrock says New Brunswick’s long-term care system has traditionally reflected the majority population, which is primarily of European heritage and Christian or, more recently, secular.

But going forward, he said it should reflect the “unique cultural and religious expectations and requirements” that immigrants, First Nations and LGBTQ populations bring to the province.

The 198-page report says the coming generation of Gen X seniors will have a different profile in terms of chronic health conditions and comorbidities such as dementia. But there will also be “different social and cultural factors, ranging from family structure and support to cultural diversity.”

Lamrock recommended that the provincial Social Development Department partner with the New Brunswick Multicultural Association to draw up a profile of future long-term care users, looking at cultural attitudes and the needs of growing immigrant communities. A March 2022 news release from the provincial government said New Brunswick’s population had grown by more than 40,000 over the past five years because of immigration and interprovincial migration.

Lamrock identified a “glaring gap” in New Brunswick’s long-term care because services are not provided in First Nations languages. “The fear of being unable to communicate while in a vulnerable state is a real and concerning one for many First Nations elders in New Brunswick,” the report says. Another worry for First Nations people is that the system is not equipped to address trauma brought on by past discriminatory culturally-related policies, he added.

The long-term care system should evolve to be inclusive to the needs of the LGBTQ community, he added. He pointed to the example of long-term care homes in Toronto that in 2022 opened “Rainbow Wings” at their facilities, dedicated to LGBTQ seniors, suggesting New Brunswick could do the same.

Based on more than 300 interviews with staff, families of residents and experts, Lamrock found that current residents of long-term care lack independence and can be overlooked in by overwhelmed staff. “We find ourselves today with a mismatch between capacity, staffing and funding, and the demand and pressures on the long-term care system,” the report says.

Kate Wright, spokeswoman for Social Development Minister Jill Green, said in a statement that the government will take time to review the report before commenting.

Liberal Leader Susan Holt said the government can serve different needs more efficiently by adopting a “decentralized” model of care.

Green Leader David Coon said one of the issues with the long-term care sector is that staff are not well-trained to deal with seniors who are blind or have dementia, which can be improved by hiring more people and paying them better wages.

“Right now, the staff in long term care … are stretched to the limit, they don’t have the ability to meet the actual quality of life needs of their residents,” he said. “And that’s got to change.”

 This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2024.

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press