Living Options

Each province has its process for accessing long term care.

New Brunswick:
The application process is managed by the Department of Social Development (DSD). Learn more about long term care by calling 1-833-733-7835 or view associated costs and regional contacts in DSD’s online long term care pamphlet.

Nova Scotia:
The Department of Health and Wellness (DHW) manages the application process. Those interested in long term care can contact Continuing Care toll-free at 1-800-225-7225 to learn more. DHW also has an online fact sheet about entering long term care and associated costs. As of March 1, 2021, the application now includes assessment for a life partner.

What does it cost to live at a Shannex Enhanced Care site?

Residents pay the same amount to live at a Shannex nursing home as they would at any other nursing home in the province. The Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness or the New Brunswick Department of Social Development determine the daily accommodation rate amount based on each resident’s financial assessment.

Your daily accommodation rate is calculated prior to admission through the financial assessment process conducted by the Department of Health and Wellness in Nova Scotia or by the Department of Social Development in New Brunswick.

To be considered for a reduction in the daily accommodation rate:

Nova Scotia: the Department of Health and Wellness requires your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment. This assessment will be required preadmission and annually by June 30th to continue being assessed for any reduction. The Department of Health and Wellness sets a new accommodation rate each year that goes into effect November 1st of each year. Residents receive a letter from the provincial Eligibility Review Officer thirty days prior to the rate change to advise you of your new rate. For additional information, please click here.

New Brunswick: the Department of Social Development will ask you to complete a Financial Declaration Form stating the income of the resident and spouse, if applicable. The information on the form is reviewed, verified and an assessment of net family income is determined based on the process outlined in the Standard Family Contribution Procedures Manual.

Applicants must provide written authorization to allow verification of the financial information. As the request for a financial subsidy is a voluntary action by the applicant and the granting of a subsidy by government is discretionary, what is considered as income is determined by the Standard Family Contribution Policy of the Department of Social Development. For additional information, please click here.

Nova Scotia
On March 1, 2021, the Life Partners in Care Act came into effect in Nova Scotia. It ensures eligible spouses; common law partners and domestic partners (Life Partners) can be placed together in licensed long term care communities at the highest care level required.

New Brunswick
You can request your spouse be admitted to the nursing home with you. This request should be submitted to the Department of Social Development.

Yes! This is your new home, and we encourage residents to bring personal items such as plants, pictures, mementos and hygiene items to their new home. Each suite is also wired for cable television, internet and phone that are available for additional charges. Please note that all electronic items must be CSA approved and inspected/approved by maintenance staff prior to use and that there are restrictions on some items.

In both provinces, we participate in a licensing process through the Department of Health and Wellness (Nova Scotia) and the Department of Social Development (New Brunswick).

In Nova Scotia, long term care homes participate in two yearly inspections, one announced and one unannounced, to ensure adherence to more than 400 requirements, which are outlined in the Homes for Special Care Act. Licensing reports for each home are shared publicly on the department’s website.

In New Brunswick, long term care licensing visits take place annually with more than 54 standards that must be adhered to. These standards are detailed in the province’s Nursing Home Standards Manual and inspection reports for each home are shared publicly on the department’s website.

At any time, if you have questions about our licensing reports, we are happy to speak with you.

While 90 per cent of our nursing home beds are private suites, we do have some semi-private rooms. Your preferences are considered and the accommodations you receive will be discussed with you before you move in, but will be largely depend on what is available at the time.

There are items that are not permitted dependent on the site and residents’ care requirements. Please speak with the resident care coordinator or social worker at your site to determine which items are not allowed.

Residents cannot bring their family pet, however some of our sites have pets living within the home and we do encourage visits from outside pets. Visiting dogs must stay on-leash and respond to the owner’s instructions. Owners are responsible to pick up after their pets. Animals are not permitted in the kitchen and other food preparation or storage areas or in the laundry areas. In New Brunswick, proof of current vaccination must be shown.

Each room is furnished with an electric bed, nurse call system, armoire, dresser, nightstand and a comfortable chair. There is also a locked curio cabinet outside your room to display your personal items as well as a locked drawer in your room. Draperies and bed linens, including a matching bedspread are also included but residents are welcome to bring their own items to personalize the space. Residents may also wish to add other pieces of furniture; however, we must ensure these items meet fire and safety standards.

We operate primarily in English, but we want everyone to feel at home and comfortable in our communities, so we make every effort to accommodate all language preferences. In New Brunswick, our licensed nursing homes adhere to the Official Languages Act, offering service to residents in their language of choice, English or French.

We are proud of our first dedicated French retirement living community, Faubourg du Mascaret, located in Moncton, New Brunswick. The two nursing homes located on this campus offer bilingual services with their language of daily operations being in French.

Meal service is relaxed and flexible with residents deciding when they prefer to have their meals. Hot meals are available at scheduled times, however other choices such as snacks and beverages are available at any time throughout the day. Meals are served table-side, and residents have a choice between two entrees at noon and dinner.

Upon arrival at a Shannex community, our team will discuss food preferences with each resident. Our dietary team develops menus which meet the standards set out in Canada’s Food Guide, and a variety of diet types and textures are available.

Shannex has a formal Medication Reconciliation (MedRec) procedure at all communities. A MedRec form must be completed during all transitions of care to/from Shannex.

In order to complete a medication reconciliation, we need to begin by creating a comprehensive list of medications you currently take. The list should include:

• All prescription medications
• Herbal supplements
• Vitamins
• Nutritional supplements
• Any over-the-counter drugs

This information is helpful because interactions can occur between prescribed medications, over-the-counter medications, or dietary supplements. Without a MedRec we cannot administer medications. Your input is vital to a safe and smooth transition of services.

For more information, please see the Medication Reconciliation brochure.

Family members and guests are welcome to visit their loved ones. Ongoing contact with family, friends and the community are encouraged as it plays an important role in residents’ well-being and happiness. Please note, the status of visiting loved ones can change at any time as we follow guidelines on visitors to our homes from Public Health.

Family members and guests are welcome to visit residents at any time, however we do ask that consideration is given to the resident they are visiting to ensure they are not resting or otherwise occupied. Please note, this is subject to change as we follow guidelines on visitors to our homes from Public Health.

We want visitors to be comfortable during their visit and have included some information below to help ensure their health and safety, as well as that of residents and staff.

• Visitor parking spaces are located at the front entrance. This includes wheelchair accessible parking.
• The fire lane must be clear of vehicles at all times.
• Every home has a secure key-pad entry process, and the code is available at the sign-in desk.
• For emergency purposes, visitors must sign in and out at the front entrance.
• Visitors must report to the nearest nursing station in the event of an emergency.
• Visitors should use the hand sanitizer provided at the front entrance or wash their hands when they arrive and depart to reduce the risk of infection.
• Visitors are encouraged not to visit if they are sick or have flu like symptoms.
• Each resident area has doors that can be closed for isolation or security, as needed, to meet the unique needs of the residents.
• We ask visitors to check with a team member before bringing food or beverages to a resident. Some residents require specific textures and have food allergies.
• Visitors must check with a team member prior to assisting a resident to leave the building.

Yes, you (residents) are allowed to leave the home. We do ask if you are going to be away that you advise the charge nurse so that any required medications and documentation can be prepared. A sign-out sheet must be completed by the resident or the person assuming responsibility for the resident, identifying the expected return and a contact number where the resident can be reached.

We understand and appreciate that you will naturally form bonds with Shannex employees, and we pride ourselves on the quality of care and services Shannex employees provide to our residents. Teamwork is the foundation of our Philosophy of Service at Shannex, as such the role each person plays in maintaining the home and ensuring residents have what they need is equally important and it takes many individuals to provide the care and support the operations of each community.

If you would like to acknowledge individual efforts, we suggest you communicate your appreciation by:
• Submit a Caught You Being Great
• Share a gift that can be enjoyed by all staff i.e., chocolates, cookies, flowers
• Deliver a thank you note
• Donate to local charity of your choice i.e., Alzheimer’s, MS, etc.
• Submit a story about your care experience on our Great People page

We welcome your feedback on any matter at any time. There is a formal process in place for you to communicate any compliment, complaint, concern or suggestion about the home, staff and volunteers, or the care you are receiving. There are also several opportunities throughout the year to complete client satisfaction surveys on a number of service areas.

If you would like to give your feedback, please see your charge nurse to get a copy of the communication form.

We are committed to excellence in service and care and fully appreciate that there are always ways to make things better. We are accredited through Accreditation Canada and have been voluntarily participating in this process since 1993. Every team member participates and takes pride in the process which measures organizations against national standards of excellence in healthcare and helps ensure that we are always improving quality and following best practices.

Currently, all Shannex long term care communities in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are Accredited with Commendation. Our next accreditation cycle will take place in 2023.

Visit Accreditation Canada for more information.

Everyone at Shannex is committed to ensuring the confidentiality and the protection of personal and health information of residents, employees, volunteers and family members is upheld. To view our Privacy Policy please click here.

For more than 30 years, there has been nothing more important to our family organization than providing exceptional care and service. We operate nursing homes, retirement living campuses and home care services across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario. Our commitment is unwavering and comes to life through our Philosophy of Service which is the backbone of our culture and guides our decisions and actions to ensure every resident has the power to choose how they live their lives. Learn more about us.