Keeping Ontarians Healthier at Home

McGuinty Government Providing More Access to Community Services in Toronto

TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2012 /CNW/ - Ontario is making it easier for Toronto seniors to live independently at home longer by increasing support for home care and other community services.

This year, Ontario is increasing support for community services in the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network, such as:

• Increasing programs that help more seniors transition from hospital to the community;
• Providing over 111,000 more personal support worker hours for frail seniors in Toronto;
• A caregiver program that helps to ease the physical, financial and emotional burden of caring for a frail elderly loved one.

Through this investment, seniors will now have more options for care and be able to return home sooner after a stay in the hospital. Increased community support will allow the Toronto Central LHIN to help approximately 3,600 seniors enjoy a higher quality of life and live in the community, where they want to be. Ensuring Ontarians receive the care they need in their community and at home will help reduce avoidable and costly emergency room visits, hospital readmissions and early placement in long-term care.

Increased support for home care and community services helps to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place and is part of Ontario's Action Plan for Health Care.

QUOTES

"Over the next few years, Toronto Central LHIN will focus on what populations need, including frail seniors who have the highest needs and who require a great deal of health care resources. Investing in more community supports will allow seniors and other clients to remain in their communities instead of the hospital."
—Camille Orridge, CEO, Toronto Central LHIN

"Home and community care is critical to creating communities who can care and support seniors to live and age at home. The government's investment in home and community care is a critical step forward to helping us create and further build these caring and supportive communities."
Stacey Daub, CEO, Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre

"We've made the right choice to invest our precious health care dollars where they are most needed - in home and community care.  This will allow more Ontarians to live independently at home, and reduce pressure on hospitals and long-term care homes."
—Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

QUICK FACTS

• Investing in frail seniors is part of Toronto Central LHIN's overall strategic plan which includes a range of new and expanded community-based services geared to high-needs populations including people with mental illness and addictions -  children and youth, Aboriginal people and women - and seniors, people with disabilities and those with multiple chronic diseases.
• Investing in community care will help 90,000 more seniors across Ontario receive care at home and fund an additional three million personal support worker hours over the next three years.
• More than 758,000 Ontarians received support through Community Support Services last year.
• This investment is part of the 2012 Ontario Budget commitment to increase funding for community and home care services.

LEARN MORE

Learn about alternatives to a hospital ER.
Learn about home care and community support services for seniors.
Learn about Community Care Access Centres.
Read about the investments in the Toronto Central LHIN.

For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 (Toll-free in Ontario only)

SOURCE: Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network

For further information:

Media Contact:

Sharon Navarro
Toronto Central LHIN
O: 416-969-3327
M: 416-624-5481
[e-mail]