Queens Home Care recently notified the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors that they would be ceasing their in-home care services in January.
They have been providing services like personal care, mobility assistance and meal prep for the elderly for over 40 years. Currently, they serve about 170 clients in Queens and Lunenburg counties and employ approximately 60 people.
As Queens Home Care has a contract with the province to provide those services they were required to notify them of any disruptions to service so the province could seek alternatives.
That is now taking place and the province is working to find a replacement agency to take over in January or earlier.
“We are already in discussions with organizations that are interested in taking over those services in the next six months,” said Seniors Minister Barbara Adams. “We are fully confident that we will have another agency in place to take on that care when it stops.”
Staff with the Department of Seniors also indicated that the organizations taking over will likely be looking to retain as much of the Queens Home Care staff as possible to ensure an easier transition.
Queens MLA Kim Masland also posted a lengthy post on her social media pages, assuring her constituents there would be a seamless transition.
In it, she made a point of noting that the government in no way cut funding for Queens Home Care, but rather it was a business decision that they made independently.
While speaking with reporters on Thursday Masland said until a new provider is found home care business will continue as usual from Queens Home Care.
She also said she will be keeping a close eye on the file as it develops and communicating any changes with her constituents.
