Access to Professionals

Overhauling contemporary health systems means moving the traditional focus on acute care to chronic disease and chronic care management.

The Health Charities Coalition of Canada (HCCC) has taken the stand that all Canadians should have equitable access to quality home care services to help meet their primary, acute, mental health, chronic and palliative care needs and to improve their quality of life.

A CAPA member outlines the physical and economic costs of her disease and warns that unless health ministers work with arthritis stakeholders the burden of arthritis will be passed from generation to generation, government to government.

Care III Conference advances arthritis care

It has probably been, and continues to be, the largest and most successful collaborative effort to take place in the world of arthritis. “It is like no other planning committee I have ever participated on”, says Catherine Hofstetter. “Had I only known what I was signing on for …”

Like the situation in Western Canada where bed closures, early discharge from surgical units and an increased demand for services have the system bursting at the seams, Home Care in Ontario is also under tremendous strain.

Consumer participation will shape the development of arthritis standards of prevention, management and awareness for the Summit in Ottawa this November. Your input is needed now.

Home Care in Canada's two most western provinces looks quite similar: It's quality of life focused and it's bursting at the seams.

An innovative exercise in improving patient-physician communication at the Canadian Rheumatology Association annual meeting proved to be a most riveting and effective method of focussing attention on an important issue in contemporary health care.

In their 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care , the First Ministers agreed that: Home care is an essential part of modern, integrated and patient-centred health care. A regional sketch of the home care services available throughout Canada begins today.