The NDP says the government is failing the home support program, as is evidenced by the Auditor General’s latest status report.

The monitoring of home support services is among the recommendations made by the Auditor General that the government has yet to address after more than five years.

NDP Leader Jim Dinn says his office receives calls on a weekly basis from residents who are having trouble finding home care.

That’s leading to undue stress as families struggle to care for loved ones, says Dinn, while the government ignores the growing problem.   

AG Denise Hanrahan says even more troubling is the government’s inability to get answers as to why so many recommendations remain unaddressed.

“And we really can’t tell you why, we’re not getting explanations from departments from the perspective of saying it’s related to some particular reason,” Hanrahan told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly. “For example, the conflict of interest issue that we encountered when we did the NL Liquor audit, our understanding is all the work has been done, but we can’t get an answer as to why that recommendation hasn’t been implemented.”

Mount-Southlands MHA Chimes in

The Independent member for Mount Pearl-Southlands says home care has been touted as a cost-effective way to keep people out of long-term care and comfortable in their own homes for as long as possible, but requires greater government attention.

He says it’s important that home care workers have access to the appropriate training and get the appropriate compensation.

The gap, says Paul Lane, is in family and friends who offer home care to loved ones as individuals.

Lane says that while home care workers employed by agencies received an increase in 2023, it’s his understanding that those who work independently did not see a corresponding increase. “That’s making it more difficult for patients to get people to do that important work.”