While the Ontario government claims that expanded home care services are the answer to hospital cuts, the reality on the ground is a little different.
The Hamilton Spectator reports that "patching together services from the CCAC, as well as private home health care agencies, is becoming more the norm as families struggle to help ailing family members stay in the home."
"If they don't get enough hours from the CCAC we top them up," Yvonne Griggs chief executive officer of Alert Best Nursing and Home Care Solutions reports. Families pay almost $24 an hour for a personal support worker who does meal preparations and help clients, who are mostly elderly, with bathing, exercises, and walking.
Even Progressive Conservative health critic Christine Elliott says this is creating a two-tier system where those who can afford more services get better care.
"What's happening in Hamilton is indicative of what's happening across the province. CCACs are being overwhelmed with requests for service. The whole situation is becoming rapidly worse. This is a group of people who deserve much better than what they're getting."
For her part, the Health Minister, Deb Matthews, says more money is being funneled into home care, adding there is “absolutely no truth to the suggestion that there is a cut to the funding. It's quite the opposite. There's been an increase and they will be getting more this year.”
dallan@cupe.ca
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