Auditor General, Denise Hanrahan, delivered a performance audit report to the Public Accounts Committee today on matters related to personal care homes in the province. The audit was initiated at the request of the Committee in December 2023 pursuant to section 22 of the Auditor General Act, 2021, following concerns that previous recommendations of the Auditor General related to personal care homes remained outstanding at that time.
The audit found serious issues with the program delivery and oversight of the provincial personal care home program. Outdated operational standards are being used and the department has increasingly distanced itself from oversight responsibilities. There appeared to be a culture of acceptance within the department and the health authority towards the ongoing backlog of overdue resident care reassessments. Incidents and compliance violations were also found to be pervasive and personal care home relicensing was found to be too subjective, with homes often relicensed while carrying unresolved or persistent compliance issues. Neither Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services or the Department of Health and Community Services disclose the nature or number of personal care home instances of non-compliance publicly.
The Public Accounts Committee shares the concerns of the Auditor General on these matters and remains committed to following up on behalf of the Legislature and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to hold concerned entities accountable for correcting deficiencies identified. The Committee will be contacting Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and the Department of Health and Community Services to request an action plan for implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations and to advise that officials may be invited to appear at a future public hearing with respect to these matters.
The Public Accounts Committee’s request to the Auditor General also included an audit of matters related to long-term facilities in the province, which is currently underway at the Office of the Auditor General.
Quotes
“I am seriously concerned about the risks within the Provincial Personal Care Home Program. The Department of Health and Community Services has failed in its responsibilities to maintain modern operational standards, which may not adequately reflect the needs of the people that call these properties home. The findings of this audit indicate that the department is not delivering on the commitments made in its own standards, particularly given our Office has highlighted these issues before and recommendations from our 2015 report on Personal Care Home Regulation remain unresolved.”
Denise Hanrahan
Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador
“All members of the Public Accounts Committee stand united in the view that the delivery and quality of care to vulnerable individuals of our society is of the utmost importance, forming the basis for why the Committee requested the Auditor General to undertake this work. The Committee appreciates the attention of the Auditor General to these important matters as we continue working in partnership to improve delivery of programs and services that affect the lives of people across this province.”
Pleaman Forsey, MHA
Chair, Public Accounts Committee
-30-
Learn more
Personal Care Homes – Audit Report
Media contacts
Chrysta Collins
Office of the Auditor General
709-730-1568
chrystacollins@oag.nl.ca
Bobbi Russell
House of Assembly
709-729-1178
bobbirussell@gov.nl.ca