Ontario is expanding its successful Aging at Home program and community care initiatives to help more seniors live independently and reduce pressure on Ontario's emergency rooms.
As part of Ontario's ER strategy the province is investing $272 million to help seniors receive needed health services in the comfort and dignity of their own homes and communities. The funding will also help to decrease the number of alternate level of care (ALC) patients in hospitals and support more timely discharge of patients waiting to move out of the hospital to more appropriate services.
In total, Ontario's investment includes:
- $187.2 million for the Aging at Home program
- $60 million for increased home care, personal support and homemaking services provided by Community Care Access Centres
- $22 million for Ontario's 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) to invest in local solutions that will address ALC pressures
- $3.5 million for nurse-led outreach teams to provide more care to patients in long-term care homes and help them avoid transfers to the hospital emergency room (ER).
ALC patients are individuals in hospital beds who would be better cared for in an alternate setting, such as long-term care, rehab, or home. Having more home care and community services enables ALC patients to leave hospital sooner, making more beds available to ER patients who are waiting to be admitted to hospital.
Read more about the Aging at Home Strategy
See the full release here