In 2019, Ontario’s government announced that Ontario Health Teams across the province will plan and offer services for people living within their defined areas. Each team will manage its own centralized funding. We need to know, and you need to know, that home and community care will be protected. We have been asking politicians and decision makers:
- Will all Ontario’s older Ontarians receive consistent services no matter where they live or how much money they have?
- Will clients coming from the community have the same priority as those coming from hospitals?
- Who will coordinate services so that clients have what they need when they need it?
- Will home and community services have enough funding to serve everyone who needs them?
At one time, charities and non-profit community organizations provided most home and community services, with only modest costs to clients. Now, for-profit agencies are taking a much larger role. Care Watch is particularly concerned about these for-profit providers and about privatization. The way we fund home and community care services must reflect both our needs and our values. We advocate for a home and community care system that has stable funding supported by general tax revenues, principles in line with the Canada Health Act, and services delivered by non-profit providers.
Ontario’s 2023 Budget: What Does it Mean?
May 2023
Ontario’s 2023 budget names large investments for home care. We need to know how this money will be spent. Who will control it, and who will receive it? What services will it pay for, and will more older Ontarians now be able to use those services? We await more information.
Talking or Listening? Seniors Month in Ontario
June 2021
Government says it celebrates older adults, but does it listen to them? Listening means funding home and community services, acting on the COVID-19 Long-Term Care Commission’s recommendations, recruiting and keeping personal support workers, and supporting unpaid caregivers.
Getting Technical: Technology and Older Adults
April 2021
Technology can help with daily tasks, promote safety, and ward off isolation. It works, though, only when it is affordable, supported, and straightforward to use. Service needs to be consistent, and privacy needs to be protected.
Fixing Long-Term Care: COVID-19 Inquiry
November 2020
Care Watch supports the COVID-19 Long-Term Care Commission’s interim recommendations. We also recommend nursing home inspections, development of a workforce strategy, less privatization, and attention to models that promote home and community care.
August 2020
When COVID-19 struck, hospitals and long-term care were the immediate priorities. Home care was neglected. We need to apply what we learn about long-term care to home care clients, their families, and the workers who care for them.
Home Care and the LGBTQ2S+ Community
July 2020
During Pride Month, we recognize the vastness, diversity, and resilience of the LGBTQ2S+ community. But high-quality home and community care is often not the reality for members of this community.
Private Matters, Public Concerns
April 2020
When we talk about our health care system, discussion turns to the balance between public and private services. It’s a dynamic balance, which shifts constantly and depends on each government’s policies and programmes.
Funding Home and Community Care: Let’s Hear from the Elephant
January 2020
We haven’t been talking enough about where the money for home and community services will come from. We believe it should come from public insurance and that we need a policy that remains true to the principles of the Canada Health Act.
Funding Home and Community Care – The Elephant in the Room: Who Pays and How?
October 2019
We need to talk about a funding policy for home and community care that parallels the Canada Health Act. Who will pay for the system, how will they pay, and where will the money come from.
Care Watch 