HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's premier is defending his government's record on funding for nursing home food, saying a large Halifax care facility that's been criticized for bland food has a significant budget surplus.
The opposition parties have said a per-person food budget of less than $6 per day per resident at Northwood isn't sufficient, and are linking the complaints to budget reductions for long term care in the last Liberal budget.
Stephen McNeil says Northwood — one of the province's largest long-term care facilities — is making its own decisions on how much is being spent on food.
He says an accumulated surplus at Northwood "doesn't sound like a shortage of money," and says questions should be directed to Northwood's board of directors.
A spokesperson for Northwood was not immediately available for comment.
However, the Conservative and NDP opposition have said the McNeil government's reduction in funding to nursing homes has played a role in squeezing operating budgets for food and staffing levels.
