How to Apply for Long-Term Care in New Brunswick: The 6-Step Process

Before You Start

The application process for subsidized long-term care in New Brunswick runs through the Department of Social Development's Single Entry Access system. Whether your parent needs a nursing home, special care home, or memory care placement, the intake process is the same.

You'll need these ready before initiating contact:

• Parent's full name, date of birth, and Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• Medicare number
• Current address and phone number
• Brief description of their unmet personal care needs
• Contact information for their primary care physician

If your parent has an Enduring Power of Attorney for Property and/or Personal Care, have those documents accessible. The social worker and financial assessor will need to confirm your legal authority to act on your parent's behalf.

Step 1: Intake and Pre-Screening

Contact Social Development through the provincial Single Entry Access portal at socialsupportsnb.ca/ltc or by phone at 1-833-733-7835 (press 3 for Seniors). The online portal is available 24/7; phone intake operates Monday to Friday, 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM.

The representative opens a long-term care file for your parent and records the basic demographic information listed above. They'll ask about the senior's current living situation and the care needs that prompted the application. This step is informational — it triggers the assessment process but doesn't commit the family to placement.

Step 2: Dual Assessments

Two assessments run concurrently after intake:

Functional Assessment — A social worker visits the home to evaluate the senior's ability to perform activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, eating, mobility, toileting) and instrumental activities (cooking, managing medications, handling finances). This assessment determines the care level (Level 1 through 4) and whether residential placement is clinically indicated.

Financial Assessment — If the family is requesting a subsidy (most do), the Financial Needs Assessor sends the financial application form. This form authorizes Social Development to request the parent's tax data directly from the Canada Revenue Agency. The assessed co-payment is calculated from the family's net income using the Standard Family Contribution scale.

The financial forms must be returned within 30 days. Missing this deadline can cancel the subsidy application and expose the family to retroactive private-rate billing. If you need more time, contact the assessor directly to request an extension before the deadline passes.

Step 3: Medical Clearance

After the social worker initiates the placement process, the family must arrange for a physician or nurse practitioner to complete the Medical Status and Physical Examination Form. This form confirms the senior's physical and clinical stability for transfer to a residential care facility.

Two important details:

• Do not get this form completed before the social worker requests it — clinics sometimes charge an administrative fee for filling it out, and a premature submission may need to be redone if the assessment timeline shifts
• The medical clearance is a point-in-time snapshot; if placement is delayed significantly, a new clearance may be required

Step 4: Facility Selection and Waitlist

Once assessments are complete, the family selects residential facilities. Under provincial rules, applicants choose their top two preferred facilities, which are treated with equal priority on the waitlist.

If no vacancy exists at either preferred location, the family may be offered an interim placement within a 100-kilometre radius of their home municipality. Accepting an interim bed keeps the resident on the transfer list for their preferred homes. Refusing a valid bed offer, however, can result in losing waitlist position.

The waitlist is centrally managed by Social Development. Families cannot apply directly to individual facilities — placement is coordinated through the provincial system.

Step 5: Admission and Contract

When a bed becomes available, the family signs a residency agreement with the facility. The operator coordinates with Social Development to apply the approved provincial subsidy, leaving the family responsible only for the assessed co-payment.

For nursing homes (rate capped at $113/day), the co-payment is the total cost. For special care homes and memory care homes, the family may also owe a surcharge to the operator if the facility's private rate exceeds the provincial subsidy cap.

Review the residency contract carefully before signing. Check for ancillary fees (cable, laundry, transportation, medical supplies) that sit outside the room-and-board rate.

Step 6: Annual Reassessments

The financial assessment isn't a one-time event. Each year — generally in July, following the tax filing deadline — the Financial Needs Assessor recalculates the co-payment using updated CRA income data. If there's a material change in income or marital status (including a spouse's death), notify Social Development immediately rather than waiting for the annual review.

Hidden Costs in the Application Process

The application itself is free, but several steps carry indirect costs families don't always anticipate:

• Medical form fee — some physician offices charge an administrative fee to complete the Medical Status and Physical Examination Form
• EPA preparation — if a Power of Attorney needs to be drafted, lawyer fees may apply, especially because a Property EPA requires lawyer certification
• Hospital per diem — if the parent is occupying a hospital bed as an Alternate Level of Care patient during the application, the health authority charges a daily per diem ($57.15 at Horizon Health Network facilities) once medical discharge is signed

The complete application timeline, financial assessment breakdown, and cost-reduction strategies are covered in the New Brunswick Long-Term Care Costs & Subsidies Guide.

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