Minister Philpott Highlights Significant Investments to Improve Access to Home Care

MARKHAM, Ontario, April 11 — Health Canada issued the following news release:

Canada's publicly funded health care system is a source of great pride for all Canadians, and an essential foundation for a strong and prosperous nation. The Government of Canada is investing in our health care system, to ensure that it innovates to provide care to all Canadians, now and in the future.

As Canadians are living longer and with increasing rates of chronic diseases, the kind of care they need is best delivered in the community and at home, not necessarily in hospitals and in doctors' offices. However, the reality is that for many patients, these care options are simply not available or adequate to meet their needs. On any given day, approximately 15% of hospital beds are occupied by patients who would be better off or would prefer to receive their care at home or in a community-based setting.

That is why the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, today highlighted the importance of the Budget 2017 investments for home care during a visit to the Saint Elizabeth Centre in Markham, where she met with staff, healthcare providers, and patients.

The federal government plans to provide targeted funding of $6 billion over 10 years to provinces and territories to improve access to home care services. This investment will lead to improved access to home care, home-based palliative care, and community-based care. In addition, the introduction of the new Canada Caregiver Credit and the Employment Insurance caregiving benefit will support Canadians caring for critically ill or injured family members.

These investments are in addition and complementary to federal investments announced in Budget 2017 of $828.2 million over five years for improving Indigenous health. This includes an additional $184.6 million over five years to improve home care, home-based palliative care, and community-based care for First Nations and Inuit.

With 12 provinces and territories having accepted the federal offer of funding for home care, the Government of Canada is now focused on working with provincial and territorial Ministers of Health to set common objectives and track progress, in order to ensure accountability to Canadians for this new healthcare spending.

The Government of Canada will work collaboratively with the provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, and others, to ensure that this investment will build on and enhance existing efforts to improve care for Canadians.

Quotes

“Ensuring better access to home, palliative, and community-based care leads to better support for patients, at a more affordable cost. With an aging population and increasing rates of chronic diseases, this is one of the ways our system must adapt if it is to deliver better care.”

The Honourable Jane Philpott

Minister of Health