$100 million to improve home support services

Best practices forum on users, long-term care facilities and home support

QUÉBEC CITY, May 15, 2018 – Today, at the end of the best practices forum on users, long-term care facilities and home support, Gaétan Barrette, Minister of Health and Social Services, Lucie Charlebois, Minister for Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health and Healthy Living, and Francine Charbonneau, Minister responsible for Seniors and Anti-Bullying, announced an investment of $100 million to improve home support services and to better address the needs of the population by increasing the intensity and volume of services based on user needs.

$95 million will be put towards hiring service workers for home support teams in order to increase the number of people that can be served by long-term home support. More nurses, orderlies and other health professionals including social workers, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nutritionists will join the ranks to dispense care and services to the elderly and people living with disabilities.

$5 million will be devoted to subsidizing the Financial Assistance Program for Domestic Help Services (PEFSAD), and $300,000 will contribute to supporting the PAIR provincial committee’s mission and its expansion to other regions of Québec.

Quotes:

As I promised, all additional federal transfers in 2018-2019 will be dedicated to home support. By improving access to these services, we are ensuring that users get the aid necessary to keep them independent for as long as possible, while allowing them and their loved ones to flourish. I am very happy to be able to strengthen the services offered.

– Gaétan Barrette, Minister of Health and Social Services

I am happy that this funding contributes to reaching our home support goals, so that we can effectively address the needs of seniors with decreasing independence, as well as people living with physical or intellectual disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Together, we can ensure that they are provided with the best support possible in their homes throughout their lives, while encouraging their participation in a new Québec.

– Lucie Charlebois, Minister for Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health and Healthy Living

I am very pleased that our government is funding home support. It is an approach that focuses on developing the potential of elderly people as well as developing their independence and participation in the community. Remember that the population of people over the age of 65 will increase by 18.1% between 2017 and 2022. We recognize the importance of investing in services for seniors.

– Francine Charbonneau, Minister responsible for Seniors and Anti-Bullying

Key points:

• The objectives of the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan include increasing the number of people that benefit from long-term home support by 15% by 2020. The sum of $95 million will ensure that this goal is reached.
• The $5 million dedicated to subsidizing PEFSAD’s variable financial assistance will allow users to get up to $11.44 per hour of service, compared to $10.24 currently. This amount of variable financial assistance is added to the already allotted $4 of fixed financial assistance, bringing the total financial assistance up to a maximum of $15.44 per hour of service.
• The money granted to the PAIR provincial committee will enable it to consolidate its mission to support, equip and facilitate the expansion of the PAIR program. This program is a free automated calling service that subscribers receive at an appointed hour agreed upon with a service representative. An alert is triggered if the subscriber does not answer after three attempts.  Steps are then undertaken by a responder or by police to check the situation.
• With these investments, a total of $850 million has been invested in home support since 2014.

Related link:

• For more information, we invite you to visit the press room for the best practices forum on users, long-term care facilities and home support at www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/presse.