Today, Seniors’ Advocate for Newfoundland and Labrador, Susan Walsh, released a report titled From Review to Action: A Continuum of Care Approach.

This report provides a clear road map of the steps to be taken to ensure that the recommendations outlined in the Newfoundland and Labrador Long Term Care and Personal Care Home Review, which was released February 5, 2025, are implemented.

The report recommendations focus on the structure necessary to ensure change and accountability, including:

• Mandating the newly created Department of Seniors the full responsibility and oversight for the continuum of health care services for seniors, including the delivery of those services through NL Health Services.
• Creating a long term care and personal care home branch in the Department of Seniors focused monitoring, oversight, inspections, compliance, penalties and public reporting.
• Creating Continuum of Care legislation which will set the legislative standards that must be met for all programs from home support through to palliative care and the requirement for inspection and public reporting on compliance.
• Requiring a person-centered model of care, access to allied health services, increased comfort allowance, penalties for evictions causing homelessness, protection from rent increases and timely provision of medication in long term care and personal care homes.
• Creating a Provincial Caregiver Network to support family caregivers.
• Requiring Family and Resident Councils in all residential care, supported by a Zonal Council which reports to NL Health Services and their concerns will be reported publicly and to the Office of the Seniors’ Advocate.

Quote
“A strong governance structure is necessary to ensure that the long term care and personal care home systems are fixed and these systems, and those responsible for their oversight, are held to account. The creation of legislation focused on the full continuum of care that seniors require, from home support through to palliative care, will set the standard for each of these services and ensure those responsible for oversight are clear on their roles. We owe seniors this diligence given they are paying for these services yet receiving little value in many cases.”
Susan Walsh
Seniors’ Advocate NL

The Report: www.seniorsadvocatenl.ca/pdfs/FromReviewToActionAContinuumOfCareApproachReport.pdf

-30-

Media contact
Arlene Mullins
Office of the Seniors’ Advocate
709- 729-6603, 1-833-729-6603 (toll-free)
seniorsadvocate@seniorsadvocatenl.ca