Arrange senior care in Fredericton

Define the help you need at home

Start with a day in your family member’s life. Record help needed for getting out of bed, washing, dressing, eating, using the bathroom and leaving home. Include what the person wants to keep doing themselves. Discuss preferred visit times, language and comfort with different caregivers.

The province describes home support as help with personal care, housekeeping and meal preparation, including relief for care partners. Use that description to frame your request, then ask the agency to confirm its workers’ responsibilities. Describe mobility needs with examples, such as help standing from a chair or moving between a bed and wheelchair. [1]

For caregiver relief, explain whether the family caregiver needs time to sleep, attend appointments or leave the house. Agree who takes responsibility during the visit and who the worker should contact if the person needs help beyond the care plan.

Coordinate healthcare and personal support

New Brunswick’s Extra-Mural Program provides publicly funded home healthcare. Residents with a valid NB Medicare card, or who are in the process of receiving one, are eligible if their healthcare needs can be met safely at home. Provincial guidance identifies falls, medication difficulties, chronic disease management and post-hospitalization needs as reasons to seek help. [2]

You, a family member or the person’s primary care provider can request services. Extra-Mural patients receive care coordination. Its team includes nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals, and the program offers services in both official languages. [2]

Before agreeing to private support hours, ask the healthcare team which needs it will address and what help you should arrange between visits. For discharge planning, request written instructions covering mobility, medicines and follow-up appointments. Share relevant instructions with the home-support provider with your family member’s consent.

Compare quotes for the same care plan

Send each provider the same task list and proposed schedule. Ask for the hourly or visit charge, minimum booking length, weekend and overnight charges, cancellation terms and travel costs. Request a total for your proposed week with those extras included.

Ask who supervises the worker, how the provider checks references and training, and what insurance covers the service. For medication help, request a description of the worker’s role and who authorizes it. Ask how workers report a fall, missed medicine or change in the person’s condition.

Confirm a start date and replacement arrangements before relying on a schedule. Ask who contacts you if a worker cannot attend and which essential tasks a replacement will cover. Agree on visit notes, family communication and a review date. Keep a family backup plan for a missed visit.

Include appointment travel in the schedule

Fredericton provides Para Transit through accessible vehicles for registered clients with disabilities. The city requires booking a day before travel. Regular users with consistent times and destinations can reserve by subscription. Required attendants travel without a fare. [3]

Ask whether caregiver accompaniment includes getting ready, reaching the vehicle, waiting during the appointment and returning home. Confirm how the provider charges that time. Arrange the return trip and decide who will contact the caregiver if the appointment runs beyond the booked period.

Prepare for a residential-care transition

New Brunswick describes special care homes as supporting adults in fair health who can walk or use a wheelchair with some assistance and do not require round-the-clock nursing care. Nursing homes serve people who need round-the-clock nursing care and supervision. The province describes memory care homes for later-stage dementia. Ask for an assessment before choosing a setting. [1]

In its September 26, 2025 announcement, the province said applicants must select one preferred nursing home and may select others, with all selected homes treated as equal preference. For offers from preferred homes, a first refusal preserves the applicant’s place; a second refusal leads to removal and a 12-week wait before reapplying. The announcement exempts people who refuse interim placements or are waiting in hospital from removal under the second-refusal rule. [5]

Before declining an offer, ask your placement team to confirm the current policy and how the exceptions affect you. Review each proposed preferred home before submitting choices. Ask what support to arrange while waiting, and check your home-care agreement’s cancellation notice before accepting a placement.

Reported reductions in home-support duration or available hours

Match the next step to the care need

Your hiring checklist

1. Write the task list with the person receiving care and record their preferences.
2. Separate personal support tasks from questions for the healthcare team.
3. Ask providers to price the same visits, including minimum hours and extras.
4. Confirm training, references, supervision, insurance and medication responsibilities.
5. Record the start date, replacement process and missed-visit contact.
6. Plan accompaniment, transport bookings and return travel.
7. Agree on visit notes, family communication and a care-plan review date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request Extra-Mural care for my parent?

Yes. A family member, the person needing care or their primary care provider can request services. Eligibility includes a valid NB Medicare card, or being in the process of receiving one, and healthcare needs that the program can meet safely at home. [2]

How should I compare care costs?

Request written quotes for the same tasks and schedule. Include minimum visit lengths, overnight arrangements, travel, appointment waiting time and cancellation charges. Ask each provider for the total for your proposed week and clarify who pays for changes.

Does a caregiver need a Para Transit ticket?

The city says required attendants travel free. Clients must register, and trips require booking a day before. Confirm the attendant arrangement when booking and ask the care provider how it charges accompaniment time. [3]

Can we decline a nursing home offer and remain on the list?

The September 26, 2025 announcement says a first refusal of an offer from a preferred nursing home preserves your place. A second refusal leads to removal and a 12-week wait before reapplying. People waiting in hospital or refusing interim placements retain their place under the stated exceptions. Ask your placement team to confirm the current policy before declining. [5]