December 15, 2008

The McGuinty government is ensuring Ontarians receive the highest quality of home care services with a new strategy that includes province-wide quality measures and a public reporting system.

The strategy will strengthen the way Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) make arrangements for home care services, provide information and referrals to community-related services, and authorize admission to long-term care homes.

Highlights of the strategy include :

• Strengthening accountability for home care services among service providers and CCACs by implementing quality measures and a public reporting system
• Improving the current CCAC competitive bidding process to ensure consistent, quality care for clients and to enhance transparency and fairness in the selection of service providers
• Enabling CCACs to provide clients with care teams suited to their medical condition
• Expanding the role of CCACs to include placing clients in adult day programs and supportive housing, providing services such as diagnostic and respiratory therapy, and offer nursing and other treatment services in group settings.

“Our government is working to ensure Ontarians receive high quality home care services,” said Health and Long-Term Care Minister David Caplan. “We’re making a number of improvements to how home care services are provided to ensure continuity of quality care for clients and greater stability for home care workers.”

“We look forward to producing Ontario’s first report to the public on the quality of home care services and client satisfaction with these services,” said Dr. Ben Chan, CEO of the Ontario Health Quality Council. “Public reporting stimulates interest in quality improvement, and we are pleased to be part of this latest effort to improve care for home care clients.”

• Currently, about 600,000 people receive home care services in Ontario – of which about 60 per cent are over the age of 65.
• In 2007, the government launched Aging at Home, a four-year, $1.1-billion strategy designed to support seniors to live healthy, independent lives in the comfort and dignity of their own homes.

Find out more about the services currently provided by Community Care Access Centres.

Read about the government’s Aging At Home Strategy.

• Strengthening Home Care Services In Ontario
• What Experts Are Saying About The Changes To Home Care Services In Ontario

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

© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2007  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimers  |   Last Modified :