Seniors and disabled people who require care at home just got a boost from the Quebec government.
Quebec is giving individual health agencies control over $50 million for people getting medical care at home.
Health Minister Gaetan Barrette explained that regional health boards will have autonomy in how they spend the funding, as long as it goes toward helping the elderly and those with chronic health care needs receive home care.
Barrette said the extra funding, announced in March's budget, will keep people out of hospitals.
"It is very often the difference between staying at home and having to be transferred to a long-term care facility, so there is no doubt that it's going to make a difference," said Barrette.
That means more money going to nurses and other medical professionals making house calls, and keeping patients out of hospital.
The injection of funds for hom ecare is welcome news for health professionals.
“We're very happy. We're going in the right direction finally here in Quebec,” said Dr. Genevieve Dechene, a family doctor at CLSC Verdun.
Barrette anticipated that the province would devote more funding to home care as the population ages.
"Our population in Quebec and more than elsewhere in Canada; is aging at a faster pace than what we are seeing elsewhere. So we have to adapt the amount that we invest in health care services to these elderly people," said Barrette.
In addition to the annual $50 million in funding, the province will also distribute $60 million among the neediest regions and $1.9 million on creating a home care co-ordinator bureau to ensure that the level of care provided across the province is equitable.
“What I'm very glad about is there will be a new coordinator everywhere in the establishment that will help to determine the numbers of hours people will need to receive healthcare at home,” said Pierre Blain of the Patients’ Users Committee.
Dechene said she is encouraged, but says what the system lacks is doctors around the province who, like herself and colleagues at Verdun CLSC, will make house calls to homecare patients.
“Because of unions, problems, poor decisions, we have nurses dreaming of having doctors with them – for prescriptions, diagnosis – but they work alone,” she said.
That's why homecare patients wind up in the emergency room, she said.
He could not say when extra funding would come forward, because it is dependent on Quebec's overall budget, and negotiations with the federal government.
Barrette said there have been several discussions with federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau about health care funding since the Liberals were elected last fall.
Barrette said he is waiting for the federal government to live up to a campaign promise to give the provinces $3 billion earmarked for home care.
“It is time for the federal government to come out and say yes, we will honour our commitment and we will put money as it was scheduled next year,” he said.
