Ontario Investing Additional $100M in Home and Community Care

Written by Ontario Newsroom on 22 July 2016

Thunder Bay region to receive $2 million in increased funding for home and community care

This investment will help clients and caregivers most in need, including $80 million for enhanced home care and $20 million for caregiver respite. Home care patients and those who care for them will benefit from approximately:

350,000 additional hours of nursing care
1.3 million additional hours of personal support
600,000 additional hours of respite services for caregivers
100,000 additional hours of rehabilitation.

“I am very conscious of the importance of home and community care is to the well-being and recovery of my constituents with complex health conditions. This additional $2 million investment in our region means that more people will receive access to that care, and that people in need will be able to stay home while they receive that care. This support is crucial to supporting those living at home alone, let alone loved members of our family who require this care as they move towards full recovery.” Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder Bay-Superior North

This additional funding is part of Ontario’s 2015 Budget commitment to increase investments in home and community care by more than $750 million over three years. These initiatives support the commitments made in Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care, the province’s plan to improve and expand home and community care.

“Improving home and community care is one of our government’s most important health care priorities. This $100 million investment greatly expands the amount of nursing and personal support services that will be available to people across the province. These additional hours will make it possible for more people with complex conditions to receive care where they want to be — in their home and community.” Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Helping more people access better health care faster and closer to home is also part of the government’s plan to build a better Ontario through its Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care. The plan is providing patients with faster access to the right care, better home and community care, the information they need to stay healthy and a health care system that’s sustainable for generations to come.

“We welcome this investment which supports home and community care in the North West LHIN. Building a strong home and community care system is important to ensure that people in our region continue to have access to high quality services they need in their home and community.” Laura Kokocinski, CEO, North West Local Health Integration Network

QUICK FACTS

Home and community care services support people of all ages who require care in their home, at school or in the community.
In 2015, Community Care Access Centres provided home care to approximately 650,000 people — 60 per cent of whom were seniors — including 28.7 million hours of personal support and homemaking, 6.9 million nursing visits and 2.1 million hours of nursing shifts.
This investment will be allocated to support enhanced care for clients with high needs and respite for caregivers who need it the most.
Information about funding allocations by Local Health Integration Networks will be available in the coming weeks.