GOVERNMENT-SUBSIDIZED HOME CARE
How Government-subsidized home care is organized and administered
Home support services are designed to help clients remain independent and in their own home as long as possible. Home support provides personal assistance with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, grooming and light household tasks that help to maintain a safe and supportive home.
In Nunavut, home care is managed by the Department of Health and Social Services which runs the Home and Community Care program. The local Home and Community Care program will conduct an assessment to determine needs and develop a care plan accordingly. The actual number of hours of home care allotted to a client depends upon assessment and availability but as a rough guideline there is a 5 hour maximum per week for home making services such as laundry and cleaning (available Monday to Friday only) and a 2 hour maximum per day for personal care services such as bathing and dressing (available Monday to Friday only). Nursing care hours vary with each client. A client who needs palliative care receives as much care as he/she needs. If a client needs more care than the maximum hours dictated in the assessment for personal care and home making services, it is recommended that the client enter a nursing home.
Eligibility/Requirements for Admission
Eligibility for services and number of hours of care and support to be provided to a particular client are determined based on in home assessment by a co-ordinator from AHS.
To be eligible for home care a client must:
- be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada,
- be a resident of Nunavut,
- have been assessed as needing home care,
- enrolled in the Nunavut Health Care Plan.
Income/Asset Test
There is no income or asset test.
Costs
There are no fees for home care. Home care is entirely subsidized by the government.
PRIVATE HOME CARE
Research did not indicate any private formal sources of home care.