If you’re not talking about it, reading about it or hearing about it, maybe you’re missing the boat – it looks like the home and community care issue has finally hit ground. The Ontario government, the citizens, companies, as well as caregivers have been fighting the good fight to have home and community care recognized as an equal partner in the health-care sector. The time has come; all the hard work and determination has paid off.
Last week, Ontario Minister of Health & Long-Term Care, Deb Matthews, addressed the attendees at the 5th annual Ontario Home Care Association Symposium. Matthew’s message was, “home care’s time has come.” These are long-awaited words by many of us in the home care world – professionals, care providers and family caregivers alike.
As I look back on my last two years as a Community Health Advisor, I have to agree that home care has definitely moved to the front of the line. We’ve heard much talk about the baby boomer tsunami, we’ve seen the flurry of retirement residence construction, we know the impact our aging population will have on the health-care system, and we read enough studies, surveys and reports. Now it’s time for the solutions, programs and services.
Back in 2009, Bayshore Home Health conducted the Living for Today – Ready for Tomorrow survey in conjunction with Ipsos Reid. The study involved interviews with older Canadians, aged 65-85, and their baby boomer children, and concluded that there’s a strong desire for independence among older Canadians. More than eight out of 10 would do everything they could to avoid moving to an extended care facility or nursing home, while 97 per cent said they’re trying to be pro-active about their health in order to remain independent in their homes for as long as possible.
Most recently, the Conference Board of Canada released the report, Home and Community Care in Canada: An Economic Footprint. It sheds light on the potential spending implications of shifting some care from institutions to homes. It also reflects on the fact that home and community care costs in 2010 ranged from $8.9 billion to $10.5 billion, accounting for only 4.6 to 5.5 per cent of total health spending in Canada. We need a shift in funding towards home care.
According to the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), Canada’s current home care landscape is a patchwork of policies and funding. Over 40 per cent of CARP members say they would not know where to get home care if they needed it. This does not reflect well on health care practitioners; it means we haven’t done our jobs well in providing information about the obvious next steps to the patients we care for.
I look back on the days when I nursed on a medical floor. Our aging journey was laid out pretty clearly: we aged, we fell ill with disease, we ended up in the hospital and were eventually transferred to a nursing home that, in some cases, was attached to the hospital. Care in the home was very rare. However, 25 years later, patients are transitioning out of hospital and into their homes at a fast rate. The system needs to catch up.
We’ve come a long way with home care programs; we can certainly bring hospital to home, but home care needs to be tailored to the individual’s needs as customized care or a service that will keep our loved ones healthy, safe and independent in their homes. This is unconventional home care and can include, for instance, a companion making a weekly visit for a cup of tea, game of cards, homemaking or meal preparation – things that may not be managed safely anymore by the individual. The companion might also escort the senior to their doctor’s appointment and return them home safely with accurate health information and a newly filled prescription.
Home care is a cost-effective way of managing someone’s health or condition with the same care and compassion they would receive at any point in the system. Home care isn’t a new concept, it just needs a facelift and a logical approach.
Click this link for the full report: Home and Community Care in Canada: An Economic Footprint
I read the article on home care and I hope Deb Matthews Ontario Minister of Health & Long-Term
will give home care providers more funding to hire more PSW’s to provided home care for the Seniors’s in their home and PSW’s arenot give the respect we deserve for what we do I have worked
in homecare and felt like I didn’t get appreicated for I did for that family, at times you get a family who will tell you that you are doing a great job, that doesn’t happen very often. Some people think PSW’s are the cleaning lady not the PSW who provides care such as a nice shower,hair washed and then put in rollers and make the person a nice cup of tea while waiting for the hair to dry if you time to do that. I have stopped at that person home on my way to take out the rollers and comb their and at times I have staopped to take out drying from visit that day and fold it for them on my way home at the end of my day’s work, and then the person will say that’s very nice of to do that for me. as it will be in the dryer on the next vist which could be two days or may be three days .or depending on their home schedule.
If it is any conciliation the work you are doing is making a difference to the individuals you care for.
Perhaps it is good to keep the elderly in their home, perhaps it is not. The one thing that concerns me about an individual staying home is the loneliness they suffer. At least in a care home they have constant company.
Home care doesn’t need a facelift, it needs a total retooling. The political (small P and large P) pressures brought to bear by private agencies as well as public agencies to protect financial ‘turf’ has hampered creative approaches to effective care in the home for far too long. When will the needs of home caregivers be addressed with care in the home that really works?
If home health care is doing so good now, why is it that some changes were made-negative changes- for the person who needs home health care? For example, they will only come to visit once per week instead of how they used to come twice per week….that may not be a BIG issue to some, but to us, the ones that need twice a week, it sure is a BIG DEAL!!! Also, they used to help with “light housekeeping” now they don’t! You have to go elsewhere & it’s $15./hr. minimum of 2 hrs charges, regarless of how long they are in your home! I would need someone in my home for light housekeeping, for approx. 1 hr. per week, but I’d still be charged for 2 hrs!!! Whereas, CCAC used to do it for nothing if you were accepted! I don’t see that home care is getting better…not from the professionals….you have to count on friends, or family members more than you can count on the Ontario government for that kind of help! What happens if you have no family members?! Or not many friends who are willing to do these things for you?! So I don’t see the Ontario gov. stepping in to help out the one who DO need this help at home!!! Maybe I’m wrong about this…& some might disagree, but it’s my personal opinion, that you CAN’T count on the Ontario gov. to step in & help when you have no one else to help you with certain things! Also, most people who need the help, are on some type of pension; it might be old age pension, retirement, or even ODSP, so their funds are limited….& yet they have to pay for help in their home if they want to stay in their homes!!! I don’t see the Ontario gov. stepping in there either! There is no addional monies available to have this type of help. & they won’t do it for free anymore, which in some cases are VERY needed!!! It’s just MY opinion….whether you agree or disagree!!!!
Thank you for your honest opinion, I hope your voice gets heard one day!
Very effective and informative article.I agree with you that home care has definitely moved to the front of the line.Thanks for the post.Keep sharing!!!
Great job by Bayshore Health Care Services.You are doing a great job in providing health care services to elderly people.Thanks for giving such valuable information.