The NDP candidate in Lunenburg says the Liberals need to explain their actions on a plan to close three adult residential centres.
Marc Breaugh says the plan could include Riverview Enhanced Living in Dayspring, which would send residents into foster care homes.
Riverview provides long-term care for people with special needs.
Breaugh believes there would be problems transitioning to foster care facilities.
“It would lack some of the infrastructure, some of the training among staff members perhaps needed to accomodate the high level of need that some of these residents actually have.”
Just over 100 health-care workers at Riverview would lose their jobs if the facility closed.
Breaugh says the Liberal plan was to close three of the centres over eight years but that has since changed to three.
He says the NDP are prepared to reinvest $8.3-million in long-term and seniors care.
PC candidate Brian Pickings says there are some residents at the centre that can’t live in the community.
“I don’t know what the motivation is because if some of these residents could be in the communities now, that’s exactly where they would be.”
Pickings says it makes no sense to rush when the needed foster care facilities don’t exist.
Meanwhile, Suzanne Lohnes-Croft says Riverview Enhanced Living will not close in the next four years.
The Liberal candidate for Lunenburg says the claims by the NDP are false.
“I’m disappointed that this is being used to gain ground for a candidate. It’s fear mongering and upsetting the residents and the staff at Riverview for political gain and I just think it’s wrong.”
Lohnes-Croft says she’s spoken with the Department of Community Services and there are no closures slated.
She says the Liberal Party has announced $31-million over four years to enhance supports to keep Nova Scotians with disabilities living in their communities.
