‘We’re in a crisis’: Advocates say N.B. seniors long-term care plan falls short

New Brunswick advocates are calling for increased wages for care workers.

The New Brunswick government’s long-awaited plan for seniors long-term care is being criticized for falling short in a bid to attract and retain staff.

Premier Susan Holt’s Liberal government is budgeting $9.3 million in 2026-27 to increase wages for personal support workers in adult residential and home support facilities.

Jan Seely, CEO of the New Brunswick Special Care Home Association, says the wage increase amounts to about 50 cents an hour for non-unionized personal support workers, and won’t go far in stopping high staffing shortages and turnover.

“That’s important,” says Seely. “That creates stability. And that’s what we don’t have. We have this constant open door and closing door of different faces and different people.

“We’re always going to have that until we find a way to entice this occupation in the non-unionized environment. We have an opportunity to do that. The business case is strong to invest in that.”

Seely says the association initially asked the provincial government for workers to receive a $2-an-hour increase, along with a cost-of-living wage adjustment, and commitment to reach pay equity over three years.

“Our workforce, in special care homes, (receives) less than $20 an hour, and pay equity says they should be somewhere around $25, $26 an hour, which makes sense,” says Seely.

Holt was asked by a reporter after making Thursday’s announcement if an increase of around 50 cents was enough for workers.

“It’s never enough,” said Holt. “We’re, as you know, walking the line with a budget that some will say is far too expensive and we should find more cuts. And then we have critical people in our care system that deserve that extra money.

“We didn’t want to hold their wage or freeze their hours of care. We thought it was valuable enough to invest in. Fifty cents an hour is more than an inflationary increase, but they do incredible work. I wish I could pay even more.”

Richard Losier, CEO of the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes, says the high turnover of staff within the sector is one issue which requires immediate attention. Losier says Thursday’s announcement, which included a multi-year plan for 624 new nursing home beds, wouldn’t provide any instant help.

“We’re in a crisis,” says Losier, suggesting the government’s plan didn’t meet the urgency of the moment. “I wish we had a short-term plan to put the fires out, because you can’t build a house on a bad foundation.”

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