Home First Program
How Home First Program Works
Home First Program is a program that was started in 2010. It is an option provided to seniors who are in the hospital with an acute illness and are considering going to long term care.
Eligibility
- frail without needing medical care
- not ill enough to be in hospital care
- possibly looking to be placed into long term care
The LHIN will work with the family and the senior to arrange necessary in-home services for a limited time until either the client recuperates, or a long term care bed becomes available. However, home care assistance is limited (no 24 hour care provided), and family support in caring for the senior is required.
Please note that the senior is required to take the first long term care bed that becomes available to them regardless of their preference. Once admitted here, they can then wait for a bed to become available in their preferred facility.
Also note that if a senior's assessment is deemed unsafe or inappropriate for safety and/or medical reasons, the Home First Program will not be made available to that senior. There must be the required support at home for them to be discharged home from the hospital.
GOVERNMENT-SUBSIDIZED HOME CARE
How Government-subsidized home care is organized and administered
On May 31, 2017, all home and community care services and staff transferred from Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) to Local Health Integration Networks. Therefore, home care subsidized by the provincial government is now administered by Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). Once contacted, the local LHIN will assign a Care Coordinator who will conduct an assessment of the senior's needs and develop a care plan to meet these needs. Home care services allow seniors to live at home independently for as long as possible.
There are four main categories of Home and Community Support Services:
- Visiting Health Professional Services that provide health care in the home such as skilled nursing,
- Personal Care and Support that can help with a variety of daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, toileting, eating and more,
- Homemaking services that assist with routine household activities such as menu planning and meal preparation, shopping, light housekeeping and more,
- Community support programs which offer a wide variety of services such as meal delivery, transportation, caregiver relief, adult day programs, social and recreational services, security checks and more.
Eligibility/Requirements for Admission
To receive home care services from a LHIN, a person must have:
- a valid Ontario Health Card,
- needs that cannot be met on an outpatient basis, e.g. a client may need help in bathing at home,
- a medical condition that can be adequately treated in the home,
- a need for at least one professional or personal support service.
Income/Asset Test
An income or asset test does not form part of the assessment conducted by the LHIN. Anyone who meets the above criteria is eligible to apply for home care regardless of their financial situation.
Costs
LHIN services are provided at no cost to clients, and are dependent on assessment and availability.
PRIVATE HOME CARE
LHIN resources are limited and go to the neediest. As a result, many seniors get inadequate amounts of LHIN services and have to rely on private home care services to receive the appropriate amount of care.
Costs of Private Home Care