The North West LHIN board of directors has approved seven programs designed to help seniors across Northwestern Ontario live healthy, independent lives in the comfort of their own homes.
The programs are part of the province’s landmark “Aging at Home Strategy,” a four-year initiative launched in late 2007.
“Aging at Home” is part of the Ontario government’s broader strategy to reduce wait times in emergency rooms. Offering better community supports to our seniors allows them to stay in their homes longer—and reduces the pressures on Ontario’s ERs.
The almost $422,000 investment announced last week marks the beginning of the “Aging at Home” process and announcements in the North West LHIN. Almost $6.5-million will be invested in this initiative in the region over the next three years.
The North West LHIN’s Year One “Aging at Home” priorities are programs that:
•reduce seniors’ length of hospital stay;
•decrease unnecessary admissions to long-term care and hospital; and
•improve the health and safety of seniors.
The seven initiatives announced last week are new and will provide innovative health-care services for seniors and their caregivers, ranging from in-home exercise for homebound seniors to training and support services for care providers so they can serve remote First Nations’ seniors in their communities to providing non-medical needs to seniors, such as grocery shopping, seasonal chores, and home repair.
“These programs build on the announcements of the ‘Aging at Home’ vans for seniors in the northwest and the Centre of Excellence for Integrated Seniors’ Services project in Thunder Bay,” noted Janice Beazley, acting chair of the North West LHIN’s board of directors.
“They transform into action what seniors, their families, and caregivers told us was important—having the appropriate services in place to support seniors who want to live at home in their community.”
“We are shifting the way we’re delivering health to seniors by bringing care to their communities so people can stay at home longer, surrounded by loved ones and where they are most comfortable,” said Health and Long-Term Care minister David Caplan.
“Providing rides to appointments and the innovative programs, as well as increased home care and other supports, provides greater access to care for tens of thousands of seniors and, at the same time, builds stronger communities throughout Ontario,” he added.
“With these programs, seniors in Northwestern Ontario will be able to live comfortably at home while receiving the care they deserve,” echoed Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle.
“This investment further proves the McGuinty government’s dedication to helping our seniors.”
Quick facts
•14 percent of the people in the North West LHIN are seniors.
•The North West LHIN’s rate of hospital and emergency use among seniors is much higher than Ontario overall.
•The average length of stay in hospital for North West LHIN seniors is more than nine days.
• Eight “Aging at Home” vans were announced in the North West LHIN in June, and will be providing transportation for seniors to health-related appointments starting in the fall.
•The Centre of Excellence for Integrated Seniors’ Services, to open in 2011 in Thunder Bay, will include 336 long-term care beds (including 64 beds for seniors in the region with responsive behaviours like dementia), 132 new supportive housing units, and community support and Community Care Access Centre services for an additional 150 senior clients.
