How to Apply for Home Care in New Brunswick

You have decided your parent needs help at home — or a nursing home placement — but the application process is not obvious. New Brunswick runs all non-medical elder care through the Department of Social Development's Long Term Care Program, and there are two ways to start: online or by phone. Both lead to the same intake process.

Option 1: Online Application

The Social Supports New Brunswick website hosts a pre-screening tool that takes five to ten minutes to complete. The full application is structured in four sections:

Section 1 — Applicant Information. Your parent's full legal name, date of birth, Medicare card number, social insurance number, and current physical address.

Section 2 — Household and Power of Attorney Status. Whether the senior lives alone or with a spouse/partner, details about any existing Enduring Power of Attorney, and information about the primary caregiver in the home.

Section 3 — Specific Needs and Health Zone. The core of the application: which activities of daily living your parent needs help with (bathing, dressing, meal preparation, medication reminders, mobility), the frequency and severity of each need, and which Regional Health Authority zone they live in (Horizon or Vitalite).

Section 4 — CRA Financial Consent. A disclaimer authorizing the Department of Social Development to retrieve your parent's tax data from the Canada Revenue Agency. Consenting here is optional but speeds the process dramatically — electronic retrieval takes 24 hours versus a 30-day manual submission deadline.

Option 2: Phone Application

Call the central intake line at 1-833-733-7835. Select Option 1 for English, then Option 3 for seniors services. An intake agent will walk you through the same information as the online form.

Before calling, have all documents ready: Medicare card, social insurance number, a list of medications, recent hospital discharge summaries if applicable, and a written description of daily care needs.

The Permission Requirement

You cannot apply on your parent's behalf without their explicit consent, unless you hold a valid Enduring Power of Attorney. If your parent has cognitive decline but has not executed an EPA, this becomes a legal obstacle that may require intervention before the care application can proceed.

What Happens After You Apply

Once the intake file is opened, the Department schedules two parallel assessments: a functional assessment (social worker visits the home to evaluate daily living capacity) and a financial needs assessment (if applying for subsidized care).

The functional assessment determines the level of care your parent qualifies for. The financial assessment determines how much the family pays out of pocket. Together, they produce a care plan that specifies approved services, provider assignments, and the family's co-payment amount.

For home support, the timeline from application to first visit is typically two to four weeks for routine cases. Hospital discharge cases are prioritized and can be fast-tracked. For nursing home placement, the application triggers a waitlist process that can take weeks to months depending on facility availability and the family's preferred home selections.

Home Care vs. Nursing Home: Same Application

An important point many families miss: you do not file a separate application for nursing home placement. The same Long Term Care Program intake handles both home support and facility placement. The social worker's functional assessment determines which pathway is appropriate — home care, special care home (Levels 1-2), or nursing home (Levels 3-4).

Even if the family privately pays for a nursing home, the placement must still be coordinated through the Department of Social Development. No licensed facility in New Brunswick admits residents directly without departmental approval.

Common Application Mistakes

Underreporting needs. Families sometimes downplay the severity of a parent's situation out of embarrassment or optimism. Be specific and honest — "Dad fell three times last month" carries more weight than "he's a bit unsteady."

Missing the 30-day financial deadline. If you decline CRA consent, you have exactly 30 days to manually submit two years of tax documentation. Missing this deadline can delay the entire care plan.

Not specifying language preference. New Brunswick is officially bilingual, and facilities are designated by language of service. If your parent requires French-language care, state this clearly in the application — it affects facility matching and waitlist placement.

The New Brunswick Care Decision Guide provides fillable templates for every section of the application, a financial document checklist, and preparation strategies to ensure the functional assessment accurately captures your parent's needs.

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