Centretown seniors are generally supportive of a report that recommends more support for home care.
Ottawa seniors and community care providers have voiced support for a recent report for the Ontario government recommending more support for home care but some have reservations about a proposed new fee structure.
The report called “Living Longer, Living Well” examines the current state of health care for Ontarians aged 65 and older.
“The more home care you get, the better, because there are lots of people with mobility issues,” says Alfredo Martinez, 58, who organizes a coffee club at the Good Companions Seniors’ Centre on Albert Street.
The recommendations include matching the elderly with primary health care providers, improving access to physiotherapy services, and expanding the capacity of long-term care homes.
One suggestion, however, sparked mixed reaction: that seniors should pay for some home care through fees calculated based on an individual’s income. In other words, seniors struggling financially would pay less.
“I agree to a certain point because it’s based on your income,” Jean Jonas, 87, a coffee group member, says.
However, many seniors are already barely managing with what income they have, Martinez says.
“There are so many people who cannot afford it. They are on a fixed income. You have to eat, too.”
The payment recommendation could ignite serious debate, says Baudouin St-Cyr, chair of the Ottawa Community Support Coalition, which includes the Good Companions. This is because home care is currently paid for by community care access centres, which link the injured and sick to care providers outside of hospitals after they are discharged.
“When you’re taking services out of hospitals that are free under the Canada Health Act and putting them into the home, that’s going to be a big conversation,” St-Cyr says. “Look out, there are going to be some sparks.”
While Ontario’s Ministry of Health has not yet adopted the recommendation, it is an important alternative to consider, says David Jensen, a ministry spokesperson. Ontario’s growing and aging population is pushing health care costs to rise each year, which could bankrupt the province if it’s not addressed, the report says.
Another recommendation suggests Ontario should maintain its promise to increase funding for the home and community sector by four per cent for the next three years.
“We’re really happy with the recommendation of four per cent,” St-Cyr says.
He notes, however, that most of that money is going to acute home care rather than long-term, preventative programs offered through grassroots, volunteer-based community support service agencies.
“Acute care is really critical but so is the preventative care,” he says.
These services often cost a small fee. For example, Meals On Wheels delivers food to seniors for $5 a meal, St-Cyr says, who is also Meals On Wheels’ executive director.
Ontario currently spends about half of its $48.4-billion health-care budget on seniors.