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Health News For South West

Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Helping Seniors Get the Care They Need at Home: Ontario Improving Access to Home and Community Care

Ontario is ensuring seniors have better access to home care and community supports so they can live independently and in their homes longer.

This year the government has provided a $260 million increase in supports to programs across the province that help more than 637,000 seniors and their families get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, while reducing unnecessary hospital visits and readmissions. This includes:

Expanding community adult day programs to include more evenings and weekends, including at Providence Healthcare in Scarborough, to provide additional caregiver relief and meaningful activity for people with moderate to severe dementia.
Helping seniors with complex needs live independently in Toronto through personal support services and supportive housing provided by LOFT Community Services.
Expanding programs in Northeastern Ontario to safely discharge high-risk seniors from hospital acute care or ER, and get them back to their homes sooner.
Providing overnight respite for caregivers of seniors with dementia in the South West LHIN through Adult Day Programs, benefiting approximately 75 to 100 families in the region annually.

This investment means that 46,000 more seniors will benefit from home care, and home care wait times will be reduced for patients with complex needs who require nursing and personal support worker services.

Providing more home and community care to seniors helps deliver on our Action Plan for Health Care to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place. This is part of the Ontario government's economic plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.

Quick Facts:

Over the next 20 years, the population of seniors aged 65 and over in Ontario will more than double from 1.9 million today to 4.2 million in 2036.

Learn More:

Quotes:

"At the core of our health care transformation effort — and our Senior’s Strategy — is a shift from care in institutions like hospitals and long-term care homes, to care at home, and in community settings. That’s because it’s what people want, and it’s less costly. Our government is investing any scarce new health dollars to support our seniors at home — for initiatives like the adult day program at Providence Healthcare."

— Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

"The adult day program at Providence Healthcare gives caregivers peace of mind and provides seniors with activities that promote well-being and help them live at home. This is very much in line with our government’s Seniors Strategy, which focuses on helping seniors to stay healthy and live at home longer by providing more home care and community supports."

— Lorenzo Berardinetti, MPP Scarborough Southwest

"As the population ages, more people are seeking care outside hospitals and within their community, close to home. And the health care system should reflect this need. This additional funding targets some of the most vulnerable populations in Toronto and is working to ensure our loved ones are getting the right care, in the right place, and at the right time."

— Angela Ferrante, Board Chair Toronto Central LHIN

"Giving seniors the services and supports they need for healthy, active, and independent living is the core commitment of Ontario’s Action Plan for Seniors. Investing in home care is another example of how we are delivering on this commitment."

— Mario Sergio, Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs

Media Contacts:

David Jensen
Communications and Marketing Division
416-314-6197
media.moh@ontario.ca

For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline
1-866-532-3161
(Toll-free in Ontario only)

Media Line
Toll-free: 1-888-414-4774
GTA: 416-314-6197
media.moh@ontario.ca

Samantha Grant
Minister’s Office
416-326-4905