Committee calls for audit of N.L. personal-care and long-term care homes
Newfoundland and Labrador's public accounts committee has called for an audit of the province's personal-care and long-term care facilities, citing "ongoing issues experienced in these areas and the associated life-safety concerns."
The committee is tasked with reviewing annual reports from the province's auditor general and selecting issues that require further analysis.
The latest call comes after the auditor general released a report in April, outlining recommendations made to the provincial government between 2014 and 2020 that have yet to be implemented. Several of those concerns related to personal-care homes and long-term care homes.
"All members of the public accounts committee share similar concerns on matters related to personal-care homes and long-term care," said chairperson Pleaman Forsey, the PC MHA for Exploits, in the release. "Considering the time that has elapsed since the audits from which the outstanding recommendations originate, the committee felt that another review of these areas is warranted at this time."
The last audits were done in 2015. The majority of recommendations were implemented, but eight remain only partially completed. That includes a recommendation to publish inspections of personal-care homes on government websites, and to carry out mandatory resident-care reassessments annually. Other recommendations include:
- A comprehensive review of personal-care homes operating standards and regional health authority monitoring methods, every two years as required.
- The establishment of benchmarks for performance indicators, and review and monitoring of financial and statistical data in comparison to the benchmarks with followup on significant variances.
- A formal review of the operational standards for long-term care facilities in Newfoundland and Labrador as required.
The committee's request falls under Section 22 of the Auditor General Act, which states the auditor general can be tasked by the public accounts committee if it does not interfere with their duties. The legislation states any audit requested by the committee must be made public once completed.
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