Moncton — Moncton - Krysta Cowling, Chair of the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, reacts to the demand for increased wages in nursing homes:
"The New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity supports the call for immediate wage increases for nursing home workers. The outcry from the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions speaks to the deep crisis in the entire care sector.
"Our pay equity evaluations in a number of other services found that wages should range from $22.44 per hour in home care services and special care homes (Level 1, 2, 3B et 3G)[1] to $25.91 per hour in family support services for children. Currently, the average wages for the services we assessed do not exceed $16.80 per hour. We have not evaluated jobs in nursing homes, but the personnel works with individuals who require maximum assistance with personal care and activities of daily living (Level 4)[2]. They too deserve fair wages, according to the responsibilities, qualifications, working conditions and effort required.
"That's why we strongly urge the government to invest quickly in wages across the entire range of long-term care and services for seniors and those living with disabilities and mental illness."
[1] Level 1 – Residents are generally mobile but require the availability of supervision on a 24-hour basis related to their personal care.
Level 2 – Residents may require some assistance or supervision with mobility and require more individualized assistance or supervision on a 24-hour basis with personal care and their activities of daily living. They may have mild to moderate dementia.
Level 3B [Memory Care Homes] – Residents do not require full-time nursing care. They are medically stable, but they require additional supervision on a 24-hour basis and help due to a physical frailty or moderate to severe diagnosis of dementia that put themselves or others at risk.
Level 3G [Generalist Care Home] – Residents may require some assistance with mobility and require supervision on a 24-hour basis. They are medically stable but they require additional supervision and help due to physical frailty. They may have dementia but do not exhibit maladaptive behaviors associated with dementia that put themselves or others at risk.
[2] Level 4 – Clients have difficulties with cognition and/or behaviour requiring supervision and care on a 24-hour basis. Clients may display aggressive behaviour toward self and/or others. Most often they need maximum assistance with their personal care and activities of daily living. Often they also require medical care.