Faster access to quality home and community care has come.
The province is reducing wait times and continuing to support personal support workers (PSWs). There will be $75 million invested this year to help more patients receive care at home within Ontario’s five-day wait time target, which is now publicly reported on the Ontario Wait Times website.
This investment will support more visits at home for people who need nursing services. It will also support more hours of care for people who have complex care needs and require in-home personal support services like dressing, bathing, and help taking medication.
Progress has already been made to reduce wait times for home care and people are already feeling the effects.
“Getting help at home is really important for me because it lets me be independent and stay in my own apartment,” says Lucy Clarke, an 86-year-old home care recipient, in a news release. “My family doesn’t have to worry because help is there when I need it. That’s why seniors like me shouldn’t be too proud to ask for assistance when needed. They should try to find out all they can about the home care options available to them.”
To build on this progress, $9.7 million is being invested this year to train PSWs in the home and community support sector and help PSWs access additional training to care for people living with specific conditions like dementia, and offer direct care workers the opportunity to receive training towards a PSD certificate.
Visit ontario.ca/health for more details.
