Bill 34 - Healthy Aging and Long-Term Care Act

BILL 34

Healthy Aging and Long-Term Care Act

WHEREAS seniors make valuable contributions to New Brunswick communities and possess a wealth of knowledge about how New Brunswick has changed over time; and

WHEREAS the population of New Brunswick has the highest proportion of seniors in Canada and this proportion will increase in the coming years; and

WHEREAS seniors in New Brunswick want to remain independent and would prefer to remain in their own communities and in their own homes; and

WHEREAS many seniors in New Brunswick require long-term care and support services; and

WHEREAS the long-term care continuum is complex and evolving; and

WHEREAS quality is of the utmost importance and concern in the provision of long-term care and support services; and

WHEREAS aging is a natural process and is experienced differently by each individual; and

WHEREAS the Government of New Brunswick is committed to establishing a Roundtable on Healthy Aging to ensure a continued partnership with the citizens of New Brunswick in refining, implementing and evaluating a Provincial Strategy;

THEREFORE Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in this Act.

“Minister” means the Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care and includes any person designated by the Minister to act on the Minister’s behalf. (ministre)

“Provincial Strategy” means the strategy entitled “We are all in this together: An Aging Strategy for New Brunswick”, adopted on September 12, 2017, as revised from time to time in accordance with section 5. (stratégie provinciale)

“Roundtable” means the Provincial Roundtable on Healthy Aging established under section 7. (table ronde)

“Secretariat” means the Aging Secretariat established under section 11. (secrétariat)

“senior” means a person aged 65 years or older. (aîné)

Provincial Strategy – vision

2 The vision of the Provincial Strategy is that healthy aging is a positive lifelong experience and that

(a) New Brunswickers respect, recognize and value the role of seniors in families, communities and society,

(b) New Brunswickers encourage age-friendly communities that embrace the contributions of seniors, celebrate cultural diversity, overcome ageism and reduce inequities;

(c) New Brunswickers understand that many determinants impact mental, social, spiritual and physical health and take responsibility to support themselves and their fellow citizens as they age; and

(d) New Brunswickers deserve high quality, affordable, efficient and person-centered care and support services that promote a culture of wellness, responsibility, independence and a high quality of life for all seniors.

Publication

3 The Minister shall make the Provincial Strategy available to the public by posting it on the Government of New Brunswick website.

Annual report

4( 1) The Minister shall prepare an annual report containing the following information:

(a) the progress made towards implementing the Provincial Strategy in the previous year; and

(b) the priorities in the next year for implementing the Provincial Strategy.

4( 2) The annual report referred to in subsection (1) may be included in the annual report of the Department of Social Development.

4( 3) The Minister shall make the annual report available to the public by posting it on the Government of New Brunswick website.

4( 4) The Minister shall lay the annual report before the Legislature if it is then in session, or, if not, at the next session.

Revision

5( 1) Every ten years, the Minister shall lead a public engagement process in collaboration with the Roundtable to adopt revisions to the Provincial Strategy.

5( 2) The Minister shall take into consideration the annual reports prepared under section 4 when adopting revisions to the Provincial Strategy.

5( 3) The Provincial Strategy shall include

(a) the vision statement referred to in section 2,

(b) goals,

(d) priority actions, and

(e) any other matter as determined by the Minister.

Partnerships

6 The Minister shall explore opportunities to partner with the Minister of Health, other provincial and territorial governments, the federal government, and other organizations to leverage New Brunswick’s unique demographics as a means of researching new solutions to promote better and more affordable long-term care and support services.

Establishment of Roundtable

7 The Minister shall establish a Provincial Roundtable on Healthy Aging composed of the following persons:

(a) the Deputy Minister of Health, who shall serve as co-chair;

(b) the Deputy Minister of Social Development, who shall serve as co-chair; and

(c) any additional person invited by the Minister to participate who, in the opinion of the Minister, is directly or indirectly impacted by the Provincial Strategy.

Duties

8 The Roundtable shall

(a) receive updates on the goals, initiatives and actions set out in the Provincial Strategy,

(b) make recommendations to the Minister about priorities for the implementation of the Provincial Strategy,

(d) advise the Minister on any matter relating to seniors and aging that the Minister refers to the Roundtable or that the Roundtable considers appropriate,

(e) raise matters of interest and concern to seniors with the government and with the public, and

(f) assist the Minister in making revisions to the Provincial Strategy in accordance with section 5.

Meetings

9 The Roundtable shall meet at least twice per year, at a time and place determined by the co-chairs.

Remuneration

10 The Lieutenant-Governor in Council shall determine the remuneration and reimbursement for expenses payable to members of the Roundtable invited to participate under paragraph 7(c).

Aging Secretariat

11 The Minister shall establish an Aging Secretariat within the Department of Social Development that shall

(a) track and provide information to the Roundtable on the implementation of actions in the Provincial Strategy,

(b) make recommendations to the Minister with respect to legislation, policies and practices to support the implementation of the Provincial Strategy,

( i) undertake research,

( ii) recommend areas of research for study by government, government agencies, voluntary associations, businesses and universities,

( iii) refer issues to government, government agencies, voluntary associations, businesses, universities and individuals,

( iv) consult and collaborate with government agencies, voluntary associations, businesses, universities and individuals, and

(d) provide general support to the Roundtable.