Home Care in Ontario:  Part 3

Like the situation in the Western provinces 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. But some good news mixed with the bad might relieve the pressure.

In Ontario Home Care is delivered by 42 Community Care Access Centres (CCAC) funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. They provide professional and personal support and homemaking services as well as medical devices to Ontario residents of all ages. They also provide information about agencies and services in the community and arrange case admissions to long-term care facilities. People self refer to CCAC or are referred by health professionals. CCAC managers assess the individual and decide the services to be provided.

The good news is that CCAC received $73.2 million more to deliver their services. Ten million dollars went to non-profit organizations that deliver medical equipment for home use. This infusion of cash is part of Premier McGuinty’s $1.3 billion investment in Ontario’s Home Care system. Some signs indicate that things are improving. Currently the average wait time for CCAC assessment is three to five days.

The bad news is that the system as a whole is regionally fragmented. Each CCAC makes its own decisions on how the cash will be spent. While there are regulations to govern CCACs, there are no clear guidelines regarding eligibility to receive services. Each CCAC develops their own processes causing regional disparities in what professionals and what services are offered and to whom. This menu of regionally fragmented services creates problems when people transfer from one region to another or when institutions and people are required to deal with more then one CCAC.

The eligibility for certain services has also caused problems. One of the biggest problems is from the regulations linking personal support to homemaking services.

Will the infusion of the new money relieve some of Ontario’s Home Care problems? It’s anyone’s guess. As our population ages, as the incidence of chronic illness rises, as the government continues to cut health coverage in other areas such as eye exams and community based physiotherapy services, and as the shortage of health care professionals and front-line workers grow, the cash may not be enough. New ways to deliver Home Care services will be needed if we are to keep up with demand and keep the lid on costs.