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“Is this the one or shall we wait for another…. if I live that long…?” So asked a prominent, articulate senior of 90 years of age who has seen the dark underbelly of New Brunswick’s senior and long-term care system. She is one of thousands who have been waiting to see the system modernized and brought into sync with the current age.
The TJ editorial, “The Gospel According to Kelly” seemed to pan the Lamrock Report as did the quotes attributed to the Premier. Both, on the surface, seem insulting to any New Brunswicker who has had experience of managing in the system or attempting to effect change and improvements. Not in the last three decades has there been an effort by government to create any plan for this sector despite many volumes of reports on seniors’ care done.
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Two health and long-term care issues have been prominent in New Brunswick Media in the last few weeks. First, we had the medical society presentation of their ideas for health reform, to which the Minister’s response, as reported in the Gleaner on February 8, 2024, was that he would negotiate with them.
The second was the on-going issue of Travel Nurses and, yes, over 300 New Brunswick nurses have joined the Travel nurse industry, and that is in addition to all those who have just thrown in the towel, retired early, or chosen other career directions. Recent stories from nurses who have moved to other provinces have been alarming. Both represent crises created by years of indecision and failure to recognize emerging trends and population forecasts. The travesty is simply this: the health system is a very complex industry in which there are no simple solutions to anything! One of the areas of complexity is the large number of skills sets and professional groups that are required to maintain the vibrant health system required by the public. In these difficult areas, change does not take place on a dime, and promises of hiring and recruiting often don’t materialize as communicated. |
AuthorKen McGeorge, BS,DHA,CHE is a career health care executive based in Fredericton, NB, Canada. Archives
October 2025
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