The provincial government is increasing the funding allocated to adult residential facilities for services provided to seniors and to people with a disability.

For the 2021-22 fiscal year, the government will provide a retroactive payment of $20.1 million through an increase to the per diem costs for the services provided to 7,000 residents. A permanent increase of $10 per resident per day will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, totalling an annual increase of $27.4 million.

The new investment will increase the total annual budget for per diem in adult residential facilities to about $197 million in 2023. The increase will help alleviate the increase in costs at these facilities.

In addition to the increased spending for adult residential facilities, the province is also increasing the hours of care in nursing homes to 3.3 hours per resident in April. This represents a $15 million increase in the annual budget for services in the 71 nursing homes, and their 4,953 beds, across the province.

The government also plans to increase the number of licensed nursing homes to 80 over the next few years.