Home and Community Care
Putting Patients and Caregivers First
The government releases Expanding Caregiver Support in Ontario: Advice from Janet Beed to the Honourable Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
The government welcomes Expanding Caregiver Support in Ontario, a report from external advisor Janet Beed containing recommendations for coordinating and strengthening supports for caregivers. Ms. Beed’s report draws from extensive consultations with caregivers, patients and a wide range of organizations in home and community care and other sectors related to caregivers.
Based on recommendations in the report, the government has announced its intention to create a caregiver organization to coordinate a range of supports for Ontario caregivers that will include navigation of available caregiver supports, facilitating access to information resources, and promoting collaboration between existing organizations.
Enhancing supports for caregivers is a core commitment of Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care. Other caregiver support initiatives include increased caregiver respite, investments in caregiver education and training and the creation of a caregiver toolkit. These supports will empower caregivers to continue to care for their loved ones as well as take care of themselves.
Levels of Care Expert Panel releases their recommendations report Thriving at Home: A Levels of Care Framework to Improve the Quality and Consistency of Home and Community Care for Ontarians
The Levels of Care Expert Panel have released their recommendations report Thriving at Home: A Levels of Care Framework to Improve the Quality and Consistency of Home and Community Care for Ontarians.
This report is an important part of the Government of Ontario’s plan to create a Levels of Care Framework for home care, one of the commitments of the government’s Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care. The Levels of Care Framework is intended to provide greater consistency in home care services and improved transparency about what kind of care Ontarians can expect to receive.
The recommendations of this report provide valuable guidance for the government as it continues to accelerate the shift to more consistent and transparent service delivery in home care, further improving client outcomes and contributing to the sustainability of Ontario’s health care system.
Statement of Home and Community Care Values
The Statement of Home and Community Care Values is a key commitment of Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care. Patients, caregivers and partners in the home and community care sector were consulted to develop a statement of shared values. These values reflect patient experiences and will guide our transformation of home and community care with a patient and caregiver-centred approach.
Statement of Home and Community Care Values
The ministry and our home and community care partners will deliver:
“Patient-centred home care that is responsive, collaborative, transparent and flexible”
This means providing care in partnership with patients and caregivers that is:
- Reliable in the delivery of high-quality and consistent care for patients across the province.
- Accessible in a way that is easy for people in all communities with different levels of need.
- Respectful of and sensitive to a person’s identity, including their culture, language, background and values.
- Integrated with other parts of our healthcare system to support easier transitions and collaborative care planning.
- Accountable to patients and caregivers in day-to-day service delivery and care planning
The purpose of the Statement of Values is to empower patients, caregivers and families to have a greater voice in their care process. These values also help to guide the planning and delivery of care by service and care providers.
Involving patients and caregivers in the development of this statement ensured that it will place their needs at the centre as part of our ongoing collaborative efforts to strengthen home and community care.
As Ontario's population ages, home and community care is becoming especially important. Ontarians want and deserve a health care system that helps them live independently at home – where they want to be.
Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care is a three-year plan to transform home and community care. It outlines the path Ontario will follow to introduce greater consistency in care, a better understanding of the services available, more support for caregivers and, ultimately, better access to the right care for those who need it most.
It is informed by the work of the ministry's expert group on home and community care, led by Gail Donner, and its report, Bringing Care Home. The goals are to:
- Put clients and caregivers first
- Improve client and caregiver experience
- Drive greater quality, consistency and transparency
- Plan for and expand capacity
- Modernize delivery of services
Strengthening home and community care is a fundamental part of Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care.
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