February 4, 2015 – Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care – Ontario Putting Patients First by Investing in Better Home and Community Care: Ontario is helping more people receive faster access to quality home and community care by reducing wait times and continuing to support personal support workers (PSWs).
The province is investing $75 million this year to help more patients receive care at home within Ontario’s five-day wait time target, which is now publicly reported on the Ontario Wait Times website. This investment will support more visits at home for people who need nursing services. It will also support more hours of care for people who have complex care needs and require in-home personal support services like dressing, bathing and help taking medication.
Progress has already been made to reduce wait times for home care:
- 93 per cent of eligible patients receive their first nursing visit within five days of being approved.
- 84 per cent receive a visit from a personal support worker within the five-day wait time target.
To build on this progress, Ontario is also investing up to $9.7 million this year to train PSWs in the home and community support sector. This funding will help PSWs access additional training to care for people living with specific conditions like dementia, and offer direct care workers the opportunity to receive training towards a PSW certificate.
Connecting Ontarians quickly to health care at home is part of the government’s Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care. It is also part of the government’s four-part plan to build Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives, and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.
Quick Facts
- In 2014-15, the government invested an additional $270 million in the home and community care sector.
- Community Care Access Centres deliver home care services to more than 650,000 people including seniors.
- For more information on home and community services available to you or someone you care for, contact your local Community Care Access Centre or call 310-CCAC.
Source: http://www.news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2015/02/reducing-wait-times-for-home-care-services.html
