New Brunswick expands program for seniors, people with disabilities

New Brunswick is expanding access to nursing and clinical support for seniors and people with disabilities.

A provincial program designed to provide health care services for seniors and people with disabilities living at home, special care homes or nursing facilities has been expanded.

New Brunswick’s Extra-Mural Program (EMP) provides access to nursing and clinical support and is now available to all 424 special care homes in the province.

Premier Susan Holt made the announcement Wednesday at the Silver Fox Special Care Home in Salisbury, N.B.

“This means that people are going to be able to get more timely access to care and they’re going to get care close to home or at home in these cases,” said Holt.

The intention of the program is to provide a wide range of care and clinical services from nurses which will reduce the pressure on the health-care system.

The services provided by nurses in the program include clinical oversight, medication and injection support, chronic disease management, care for wounds, in-home vaccinations, mobile diagnostics co-ordination, non-911 first-response care and palliative care.

“The Extra-Mural Program and the team they have with their nurses, instead of the home here having to take a patient and transport them to a doctor’s office, the EMP service can come and support that client in the home,” said Holt.

Now, more than 7,000 New Brunswickers are getting nursing care where they live – and not in a hospital bed.

New Brunswick Special Care Home Association CEO Jan Seely said the announcement is a reflection of strong collaboration between the provincial government, the health-care sector and special care home owners and staff.

“People can have very complex care needs, either in their own home or in our special care homes and prior to this we were doing great, we were strong but now we have this secret sauce available in our homes that we didn’t have before,” said Seely.

EMP Vice-President Ginette Pellerin said the program is empowering nurses to provide better care to those who need it.

“Every resident in every special care home has had a clinical assessment,” said Pellerin. “It means that if they needed a care plan with other members of other services it means that they have that. It also means, which is important, that they also have access to a primary care provider.”

The province says it wants seniors to live a full, healthy life while remaining independent as possible and close to loved ones.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.