A New Brunswick nursing-home offer should arrive with more than a monthly number. Section 13 of the province's Nursing Homes Act requires the operator to provide each person approved for admission, and their next of kin or legal representative, with a written statement of the services the home provides, any additional services that will be provided if needed, and the additional costs associated with them. The operator must also provide a written statement of the home's policies.
That requirement creates a practical buying test. A family can compare the offered bed against a written service boundary before accepting, rather than discovering after move-in that transport, supplies, specialist support or another recurring item was treated differently. The statement is not proof that the home has a live vacancy or can meet every need, so it must sit beside the admission and care plan.
Verify approval and the precise home
Ask who approved the person for admission, the date of approval and the exact legal name and address of the nursing home. Confirm whether the message is a firm offer, a wait-list update or an invitation to provide more information. Keep the deadline for response and the proposed move-in date separate.
The Act also requires operators to involve the resident or person approved for admission and their next of kin or legal representative in admission or discharge planning. Identify the authorised participant and give the home current contact information.
Request both written statements
Ask for the service statement and the policy statement before committing. Use those names in the request so a marketing brochure is not mistaken for the required information. Record the version date and request an accessible copy if the resident needs large print, interpretation or another format.
Policies should cover matters that affect the purchase: payment, complaints, visitors, leave, valuables, medication, transfers and discharge. If the home sends links, save the documents available on the acceptance date.
Turn services into a comparison grid
Create rows for nursing, personal care, meals, laundry, continence support, medication, mobility, behaviour support, recreation, housekeeping, equipment, clinical supplies, transport and end-of-life support. Mark each as included, additional, externally billed or unavailable.
Do not accept “as needed” without an operational answer. Ask who decides the service is needed, how quickly it begins, who delivers it and whether the charge starts per use, per day or per month. Repeat the same questions to every home.
Require the price of each additional service
For every additional service, request the unit price, frequency, tax treatment if relevant and review mechanism. A zero-use example and a realistic high-use example expose very different monthly totals. Ask what documentation accompanies the bill.
Separate optional comfort purchases from care the resident is expected to require. If an item is medically necessary, clarify whether it is supplied by the home, another public program, insurance or the resident. Do not double-count it in the family budget.
Model the first ninety days
Start with the applicable accommodation contribution or resident charge, then add only supported extras. Build a first-month case with one-time costs and two later months without them. Include moving, clothing labels, telephone, pharmacy and transport only where confirmed.
Set aside an uncertainty line for needs that are still being assessed. Ask the home how a change is authorised and when the family will receive written notice. This makes two quotes comparable even when their headings differ.
Match the statement to actual care needs
Provide a current clinical and functional summary. Ask the admissions team to annotate which service addresses each need and any condition the home cannot safely manage. Pay particular attention to transfers, wandering, aggression, swallowing, oxygen, wounds and night supervision.
A general service list does not promise capacity on a particular shift. Ask what equipment and trained staff will be ready on the move-in day and what must arrive with the resident.
Inspect admission and discharge planning
Request the named coordinator, documents, medication handover, transport time and first care conference. Ask how family or the legal representative participates. Put unresolved decisions in the admission plan rather than leaving them to a bedside conversation.
Also read the discharge policy while the offer is still optional. Compare notice, appeal or review routes, temporary hospital absence and the process if needs exceed the home's capability. The aim is not to predict a dispute but to understand the risk being accepted.
Check authority to sign and receive information
Approval for admission does not automatically establish who may sign financial or care documents. Confirm whether the resident signs, or which legal authority supports a representative. Provide only the documents necessary for that role.
If relatives split costs, create a private contribution schedule that does not alter the resident's rights or the home's duties. Do not sign an open-ended personal promise simply because the move is urgent; obtain advice where liability is unclear.
Investigate referral commissions
Ask any placement adviser or referrer whether the nursing home pays for the referral, how the fee is calculated and whether homes that do not pay were considered. Ask the home to identify the person who confirmed the vacancy and statement.
Commission disclosure does not replace direct verification. Reconfirm the room, admission date and written costs on the day the family accepts.
Use a conditional acceptance email
Summarise the legal name of the home, move-in date, resident charge, included services, priced additions and outstanding conditions. Attach the statements received. Ask the operator to correct errors before payment or transport is arranged.
Keep another safe plan until the home confirms staffing, medication, equipment and admission time. A response deadline is not a reason to abandon basic clinical checks.
How Curalune supports the decision
Curalune can select nursing-home options by location, care profile, stated services, extra-cost exposure and admission timing. Its fuller contact service can ask selected homes for current availability, written service boundaries, prices and next steps and organise the replies.
Curalune does not guarantee a vacancy, reservation, government approval, funding or admission. The nursing home and provincial authorities retain their own responsibilities and decisions.
FAQ about New Brunswick nursing-home offers
Who should receive the written service information?
The person approved for admission and their next of kin or legal representative should receive the written statements described by the Act.
Must additional service costs be identified?
Yes. The required statement covers additional services to be provided if needed and the additional costs associated with them.
Is a brochure enough?
A brochure may help, but families should request the specific written service and policy statements and connect them to the offered admission.
Can Curalune guarantee that the home accepts the resident?
No. Curalune can assist with selection and contacts, but the operator controls its offer and admission and public bodies control their decisions.