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“This decision by the provincial government will have a profound negative impact on clients requiring home care as well as their families and health care in general.” - Carol Furlong, NAPE President.
St. John's (17 May 2013) – The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) is reacting to the decision of the provincial government to not allocate additional funds to home care.
Newfoundland government refuses to increase home care funding
According to NAPE President Carol Furlong, “this decision by the provincial government will have a profound negative impact on clients requiring home care as well as their families and health care in general.”
Patients to be left in hospital longer
Ms. Furlong stated, “If the home care agencies are forced to refuse to accept new clients or to cancel services outright, because of government decisions, many patients will find themselves left in acute care hospital beds for weeks while waiting to be transferred to a nursing home. We will see patients occupying acute care beds when they should be back in their own community and in their own home.”
Costs to system increase by not funding home care
NAPE/NUPGE also questions the economics of government’s decision, said Furlong. “The government talks about the need to save money yet they refuse to adequately fund home care which has the potential to save millions of dollars in our health care system. The bottom line is we are talking about an extra 50 cents an hour for a group of predominantly female employees who are among the lowest paid in the province.”
Union calls for meeting with agencies
The union is calling on government to meet with the home care agencies to find a short term solution to the current crisis and to begin to develop a long term plan for home care in the province.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE