Ageing at Home

Central CCAC’s “Ageing at Home“ programme is funded by the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to help patients waiting for an alternative level of care (ALC) and who require complex care to transition from hospital to home. Since its implementation in September 2009, the “Ageing at Home“ programme has helped more than 900 people living in the Central LHIN to return home safely after the end of the acute care phase of their treatment. They can continue to recuperate and recover from the comfort of their own home. The programme is designed to provide an increased level of CCAC services, up to a maximum of 90 days, for people requiring complex care so that the client can recover at home before making permanent decisions about future care options. The programme’s goals are to reduce ALC days at the hospital, to allow inpatients to continue their recovery at home, to allow clients or families to plan long-term care from the comfort of their home and avoid premature admission to long-term care facilities after hospitalization. Eligible clients receive up to 56 hours per week of personal support services, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing up to four times a day, medication management with a pharmacist, equipment rental and intensive case management with dedicated case managers who make frequent home visits. Case managers monitor clients’ progress and adjust services as needed, ensuring that the client and family will no longer need the programme after 90 days.