Proposals Sought for Cape Breton Nursing Home Beds

The Department of Health will open 25 new nursing home beds in Cape Breton to help shorten the time seniors have to wait to get into long-term care. It is now seeking proposals from nursing home providers interested in creating those spaces in specific communities.

"There are many seniors in the community and in hospital waiting to enter long-term care and these beds will help these individuals and their families," Health Minister Angus MacIsaac said today, April 22. "Knowing that more continuing care services are needed in this district, and across the province, we are pleased to address some pressures in the short term."

A Cape Breton planning group with representatives from home support agencies, the local long-term care sector, Cape Breton District Health Authority, the Department of Health continuing care branch, and the Department of Community Services, recommended that preference be given to communities with the lowest ratio of beds per capita. The group suggested the beds should go to communities served by: Northside The Lakes Community Health Board, East Cape Breton Community Health Board, Central Inverness Community Health Board, and Central Cape Breton Community Health Board.

"This is an encouraging development and will make a difference," said John Malcom, CEO for the Cape Breton District Health Authority. "The need for more continuing care beds and services in the community is growing. When there are not enough beds available, it puts pressure on the acute care beds in our hospitals.

"It's important that we use our acute care beds appropriately and that the people who need continuing care receive it in the most appropriate place. An additional 25 beds in the community will help relieve this pressure."

An expression of interest will be posted on the government's procurement website at midnight today, April 22. This is the first time the Health Department has requested proposals to open new long-term care beds after assessing communities' needs. In the past, nursing home operators approached the department expressing their interest to expand.

"Our goal is to find the best provider for these new beds," said Mr. MacIsaac. "We will be looking for experienced administrators who can show they provide cost effective and high quality care to seniors."

There are currently 1,111 nursing home beds in the Cape Breton district. Twenty-five nursing home beds have an average operating cost of about $1.5 million per year. The new beds, announced last year, are expected to be ready by fall 2006.

This spring, community consultations will be held across the province, including Cape Breton, to discuss long-term solutions for continuing care services.