FREDERICTON (GNB) – The provincial government is investing $600,000 to improve dementia care through the appropriate use of antipsychotic medication at nursing homes in New Brunswick.
This issue is of particular importance in New Brunswick, which has among the highest rates of antipsychotic medication use in the elderly. In 2013, the rate of this medication use was nearly two times higher in the province than in the rest of Canada.
“Addressing the issue of healthy aging and care for seniors is a top priority for our government as the senior population continues to grow,” said Social Development Minister Cathy Rogers. “This investment will help improve care for nursing home residents diagnosed with dementia and it will reduce costs for our nursing homes.”
Non-medication interventions, such as patient-centred approaches, have proven to be effective in managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
The funding will be used to provide learning and coaching to help health-care providers at nursing homes use data to identify patients who may benefit from non-drug therapies to treat behavioural issues associated with dementia. Collecting the appropriate information about each resident will help front line staff tailor services to support quality of care and improve the quality of life for residents.
This year, 15 nursing homes will participate in the project, which will be expanded provincewide in 2017.
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