Enhanced Access to Home Care Part of Innovation to Action in Health Care Report

MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 26, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA) is encouraged by the report from the Health Care Innovation Working Group (HCIWG) of the Council of the Federation, "Innovation to Action in Health Care".  The recommendations to support "better health, better care and better value" for all Canadians will help address critical issues facing our health care system - specifically meeting the needs of our aging population and supporting individuals to remain independent in their homes and communities.

The recommendation that premiers direct ministers to consider adapting the elements and key success factors of leading practices to enable access to enhanced homecare, is one that is embraced by CHCA stakeholders across Canada. "As we age, we are faced with an increased likelihood of developing a chronic condition that jeopardizes one's ability to live independently in the community", said John Schram, President CHCA.   "Research has shown that home care services, that are integrated and co-ordinated across the health care system, are a cost-effective way to maintain seniors' independence and prevent admissions to hospitals and long-term care facilities."

The CHCA is currently working with home care stakeholders across Canada to enhance access to home care. This will be accomplished through the articulation of harmonized principles that will define a national home care program, but not prescribe how services should be organized or delivered.  These principles will guide legislation and frame the delivery of service in all jurisdictions to ensure access to responsive services that will enable individuals to safely stay in their homes with dignity, independence and quality of life.

The report's inclusion, of team-based health care delivery models that encourage all health professionals to work to their full professional capacity, is a critical element in achieving a high quality and effective health care system.   Progress is being made in team-based integrated care in many jurisdictions across Canada. Home care has played a critical role in enabling the shift from acute episodic care to long-term chronic care.   "Improved service coordination, withintegration in the delivery of chronic care for seniors, is a viable way to reduce wasted resources, fragmented care and patient dissatisfaction, while improving cost effectiveness", stated Nadine Henningsen, Executive Director, CHCA.

The report sets the foundation for provincial and territorial leaders to create a new collaborative approach to healthcare that enables excellence, high performance, and high value care. The CHCA looks forward to supporting the Health Care Innovation Working Group in ensuring the ongoing identification and dissemination of information on innovative models, in order to help promote the adoption of leading practices.

About the Canadian Home Care Association
The Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA) is a not‐for‐profit membership association dedicated to ensuring the availability of accessible, responsive home care and community supports to enable people to stay in their homes with safety, dignity and quality of life. Members of the Association include organizations and individuals from publicly funded home care programs, not‐for‐profit and proprietary service agencies, consumers, researchers, educators and others with an interest in home care. Through the support of the Association members who share a commitment to excellence, knowledge transfer and continuous improvement, CHCA serves as the national voice of home care and the access point for information and knowledge for home care across Canada.

SOURCE: Canadian Home Care Association

Nadine Henningsen, Executive Director
Ph: 905 361-3277
Email: [email protected]
www.cdnhomecare.ca