Make Respite Care A Priority, Not An Afterthought

ANDREW YOUNGER

Dartmouth Cole Harbour Weekly News

I often speak with families who are eager to care for their loved ones instead of sending them to nursing homes. While nursing homes are the right option for many families, as a province it’s important we support those who would prefer to have loved ones stay at home as long as possible. The more people who stay at home when they become ill or they age, the less pressure there is on the healthcare system. And for many, the comforts of home can help reduce stress.

But caring for a loved one at home is not easy. A supportive family, access to in-home nursing care, and availability of respite space are all critical.

In the spring, Nova Scotia’s health minister said it was important to help people stay at home as long as possible. So it was a surprise when it was learned the NDP decided to cut almost 60% of the respite beds in the province, without any public announcement or consultation, on the Canada Day long weekend. The NDP cabinet approved cutting the 77 beds available in Nova Scotia to 33. In HRM, half the beds were eliminated. In other places such as the south shore, 70 percent were cut.
In October 2005, Premier Dexter – then as opposition leader – complained about the Tories making a similar change.

This decision was not made to help Nova Scotians. It was made for money. A Health Department memo states  the “Department of Health and Wellness will realize a revenue increase annually as respite beds are charged at $31 per day versus the average accommodation rate for a regular bed of $45 per day.”

The government says the respite beds were not being used. But the fact is they very nature of respite care means there will be periods when beds are busy and periods when they are not. I hear from many families who struggle to get access to beds.

If this was a great news story the government would have announced it publicly. Instead the NDP implemented the decision by stealth on the Canada Day long weekend. It wasn’t the only decision the NDP made that weekend that made life harder for Nova Scotians.

The NDP also cut some medical benefits for disabled Nova Scotians living in special care homes. They were forced to rescind those cuts when those became public.
The NDP only admitted to the respite bed cuts after it became public and they have not been rescinded.

As a province we need to work to support people staying at home as long as practical. The harder the government makes it for people to stay in their homes when they become ill or when they get older the more expensive our healthcare system will become. This is an uncaring decision that will also end up costing taxpayers in the long run.