Closing Institutions ⁽⁶⁾

• What if some people don’t want to leave the institution?

  Change can be scary. A thoughtful, intentional, and well-resourced planning process will help lessen the anxiety about change and moving. An IPSC will work with each person to develop a unique plan that works for them and their timeline for moving to community. Each IPSC will provide support to approximately 20 people, allowing for meaningful and impactful relationship-building work.

  This may feel overwhelming. Some people have lived in an institution for decades. It may be all they know. It may be what their family was told was safe. By law, institution settings in Nova Scotia must be closed by 2028.

  People have the right to choose where and with whom they live. And how they want to spend their days and evenings.

  Institutional models of care are outdated and not supporting people to live a full life in community. 

• Can an individual keep working with their current support person?

  If a connection with their current staff is important, a person’s individualized planning process can include ways to maintain these relationships. For example, the Remedy includes a workforce strategy to support staff to transition from institutions to other opportunities. Not all staff will choose to shift to providing community-based support. A person might meet new support workers that support them in new ways too.

• Where will people live?

  The richness of the Remedy is that it does not prescribe where someone will live. The intention of the Remedy is to empower personal and individual solutions that work for the individual. This marks a shift away from older models that restricted or even penalized individuals for coming up with innovative solutions. This flexibility helps individuals and families reimagine what could be possible. The highly individualized nature of the Remedy means that when we work together creatively and with the individual in the driver’s seat, solutions can be found for everyone. People with high support needs will have access to IPSCs (currently referred to as complex case management) to ensure that the individual’s needs are being met and that due consideration is being given to safety planning.

• What is the timeline?

  The Remedy has a five-year timeframe. The closure of institutions must be done carefully and methodically to ensure that individuals are successful and supported in the community. Much of year one (1) of the Remedy was dedicated to building the foundation and infrastructure needed to start reducing institutional populations. A closure strategy was issued in May 2024.  

• What is the closure process, and how will transitions be supported?

  Slowly and continuously. Change will not happen all at once nor overnight. The planning process will be driven by the individual and support will be in place before, during and after the transition. An IPSC will be dedicated to helping each person through this process. 

• How many institutions are closing and where are they located?

  There are 27 larger institutions across Nova Scotia: 20 Residential Care Facilities (RCF) and 7 facilities classified as an Adult Residential Centre (ARC) and/or Regional Rehabilitation Centre (RRC).