Response to Recommendations from the Long-term Care Expert Advisory Panel

Government intends to act on all of the recommendations received from an expert advisory panel tasked with looking at how to improve the quality of care in long-term care facilities in the province.

“I would like to sincerely thank the panel members for their hard work. The members have talked to many stakeholders, advocates and professionals who work in the long-term care sector,” said Health and Wellness Minister Randy Delorey. “As a result, they have made recommendations that support our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of care provided to some of our most vulnerable Nova Scotians.”

Some of the work already underway includes:

• actions to address wound care
• exploring ways to improve access to allied health providers such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists
• working on strategies to increase access to nurse practitioners
• working with partners to review the continuing care assistant education and curriculum with focus on placement and quality of experience
• early work to develop a health workforce plan including a vacancy survey to determine staffing needs and challenges
• working with Nova Scotia Health Authority to develop a plan to address responsive behaviours in long-term care
• beginning work to require registration for continuing care assistants
• exploring primary health care coverage in long-term care
• beginning work to implement the interRAI long-term care assessment tool for data collection

“Government accepts the intent of all the recommendations and will work toward implementing them based on the timelines suggested by the panel,” said Mr. Delorey. “Government is already working on many of the recommendations. This shows me we are on the right track to making improvements in long-term care.”

Government will continue to work with Nova Scotia Health Authority, the long-term care sector and other partners to implement these recommendations.

The three-member panel includes:

• Janice Keefe – professor and chair of family studies and gerontology and director, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging at Mount Saint Vincent University
• Dr. Greg Archibald – family doctor, wound care expert and head of Dalhousie University’s Department of Family Medicine
• Cheryl Smith – long-term care nurse practitioner, educator focusing on polypharmacy and care of older adults

Mr. Delorey will be available for interviews from his constituency.

A copy of the panel’s recommendations is available online at, https://novascotia.ca/dhw/publications.asp .