Leo Glavine asks for public input in developing care strategy in Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotia government is looking for public feedback as it develops a continuing care plan for seniors which includes the possibility of user fees and direct funding.

On Thursday, Health Minister Leo Glavine released Continuing Care: A Path to 2017 to guide discussions for the eventual policy.

The document recommends areas of focus based on an evaluation of the original continuing care strategy from 2006.

It proposes changing the placement policy to give priority to people with the highest needs, using performance-based contracts for care providers, and considering giving people money directly to buy needed services.

Glavine said the plan is to revamp a system that is not sustainable as demand increases with the province's rapidly aging population.

"The demand that will come at us in the next quarter century is indeed immense," said Glavine. "This is why working on efficiencies now will enable us to develop a sustainable system."

With nearly 8,000 long-term care beds in the system the province said as recently as May that more than 2,000 people remain on the waiting list.

Currently seniors comprise about 17 per cent of the province's population, but that number is expected to grow to 22 per cent over the next eight years, according to the planning document.

5-year continuing care strategy coming

Glavine said the province has to find the best value for money as it continues to place priority on shifting people from long-term to home care. He said that will involve revamping contracts with agencies that provide services.

"In terms of a sustainable price-point for an hour of service we are not there," Glavine said.

He said the the lowest-cost care providers in the province charge $23.07 an hour less than the highest cost.

Glavine said there will also be an examination of user-fee structures, although there are no details of what kind of fees are being contemplated.

He said there are no plans for "across the board" fees, and those proposed would only be based on income "where appropriate."

A number of the issues discussed in the plan have previously been floated publicly.

As a result, both the Progressive Conservatives and NDP were more interested in pointing out that there's still no plan in place despite a 100 day review launched by the government at the end of January 2014.

"They are punting it as far into the future as they possibly can while seniors continue to wait, whether it's for long-term care facilities or home care," said Tory health critic Chris d'Entremont.

Glavine is asking people in the province to provide feedback on the plan before Sept. 11.

A new five-year continuing care strategy is to be released in 2017.