Province hikes nursing home rates by $700 a month

Islanders who live in government-run long-term care facilities are facing a rent increase as the province is set to raise the rates on April 1st.

The province recentlysent out letters notifying residents the rates would be going up by almost $23a day.

That would be around $700 more a month a 27per cent rate increase that was totakeeffect over two months.

Health and WellnessMinister Robert Mitchell backtracked on Monday saying the increases were coming too fast.

"Obviously, I spoke to a lot of families of Islanders who are affected," he said.

"We have asked Health PEIto look at and put forward a two-year transition."

That $700increase will now be reached gradually over two years instead of just two months with the plan now to raise the rates every six months by$5a day.

The$700 increaseaffects about 90 residentswho pay the full rent without getting any subsidy.

Word of the increase at the public long-term care homes was a concern at the local Seniors Active Living Centre.

"I've had my father in a nursing home and they're wonderful ... but that amount of an increase in one jump seems astronomical to me,"said NorvaVessey.

"It doesn't seem fair, and with governmentgoing into an election year, this is a bad time to raise those rates," saidScottMacDonald, president of the Seniors Active Living Centre. "Seniors have a big voice on the Island."

The health minister said hearing concerns like that, led to the change of plans.

"By April 1st, that would have been in place for those 90 affectedresidents and that is quite the burden to place on them, so obviously an oversight," said Mitchell.

"An oversight, especially on my part to not have picked that up so when it was brought to the attention, obviously the right thing to do is to extend that transition piece so that is now twoyears versus twomonths."

The government says it needs to raise the rates to cover increasing costs and be more in line with what private nursing homes charge.

New residents will have to pay new rates as of April 1

Mitchell said there had not been a change in the rates for the past sevenyears.

The newly announced gradual increases are just for those living in the province's long-term care homes now.

Any new residents who move into the province's nursing homes after April 1stwill have to pay the full rate increase right away.

Health PEI said there are currently 600 residents living in public long-term care facilities on P.E.I.

More P.E.I. news