Homecare workers could help alleviate hospital overcrowding

Homecare agencies in New Brunswick are hoping the provincial government follows a recommendation from doctors that would see homecareworkers paid more as part of a short-term solution to hospital overcrowding.

• Dr. Pam Mansfield unimpressed by government response to doctors

John Lefrancois, president of the the New Brunswick Home Support Association, says homecare workers couldhelp keep seniors out of hospitals and nursing homesby providing care for them in their own homes.

The problem, says Lefrancois, isthat with an hourly wage of $12.58 it is tough to attract workers to the field.

"It's pretty much a minimum wage job, and this is looking after the most vulnerable people in our country," he said.

"The increase of seniors population is growing tremendously the government knows this so we believe thewageneeds to increase. It's imperative that it increases in order to keep these people in their homes."

Lefrancois says the average hourly wage for homecare workers across the country is $15.18.

He believes raising the rate in New Brunswick from $12.58 to $15.00 per hour would make a huge difference to the number of people who would be interested in homecare work as a career.

"We keep talking to all of the different ministers and engaging inconversationwith them and trying to explain that this is so needed but sometimes it feels like it's goingto deaf ears," he said in an interview Thursday morning on Information Morning Moncton.

Lefrancoissays the Department of Social Development sets the billing rate that homecare agencies can charge, including the hourly wage workers are paid.

Homecareagencies buoyed by support

Lefrancois says after years of trying to make the case to the provincial government that looking after people in their homes is much less expensive than looking after them in hospital, it feels good to have doctors in the province as allies.

"It would save the taxpayers money to get people out of the hospital and into their homes. We're prepared to be the ones to supply that service," Lefrancois said.

Dr. Pam Mansfield, chief of the staff at the Moncton Hospital, says raising the wage of homecare workers is something the provincial government could do immediately to improve the overcrowding at hospitals.

"We don't have the homecare workers we need," she said.

"It's very short-sighted for the government to say, 'Well it's going to cost us money up front.'Well yes but in the long- term it's going to save money to the system," Mansfield said.

"The most effective place to care for patients is in their homes so if you can do that first and prevent them from coming into hospital then you're going to have thelong-term savings.

Lefrancois says his association plans totake advantage of the momentum that's being created by the doctors who are speaking out.

"We're going to continue talking about this very loud and veryclear. We need this to improve in order to sustain our seniors in their homes," he said.