The government of Ontario has launched a $1.1 billion over four year plan that is designed to help seniors reside in their own homes. The initiative was started at the end of August, 2007 and will help match the needs of seniors and their caregivers access the local support services they require to maintain their independence. The Aging at Home Strategy hopes to develop new ways to provide supports and/or services that ensure seniors can spend their final years living where and how they wish to.

The stated goals of the Aging at Home Strategy are:

• To ensure that seniors home support them;
• To ensure that seniors have supportive social environments;
• To ensure easy accessibility to senior-centered care;
• To identify innovative solutions to ensure that seniors are and stay healthy.

The Aging at Home Strategy will increase traditional services that enable seniors to be healthy and live independently in their homes such as:

• Community support services;
• Home care;
• Assistive devices;
• Assisted living services, supportive housing;
• Long-term care beds;
• End-of-life care.

This new approach will combine traditional services that are currently offered with new services that will be provided by Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) on a community-based level. Each LHIN will be required to allocate a minimum of 20% of the funding throughout the first three years in order to deliver innovative care for seniors. Innovation proposals must be either evidence-based and/or build in an evaluation component if previously untested. Ultimately the goal is for LHINs to assume more responsibility for the planning, managing and funding of senior healthcare services at a local level. Support at the local level is intended to help seniors, especially those with chronic health issues, remain living at home, avoid unnecessary hospital emergency room visits and as well as avoid/delay admission to a Long Term Care facility.

This program is targeted for seniors who are living with age-related health conditions and/or age-related disabilities. Consideration will also be given to services, programs and/or supports that allow the family, friends as well as neighbors to help care for seniors in their community. The strategy will be based on the senior population of the community in Ontario; therefore services will vary depending on where the senior resides. Funding for each LHIN will be allocated on estimates of the basis of age, gender, socio-economic status and rural geography and health status in order to estimate the demand for services. The funding will also depend on the estimated population growth as well as the type of seniors who live in a specific LHIN territory and the current service level that is already in place.

For more information regarding this initiative please visit the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.