PRIORITIES
ADVOCACY
Unlike traditional home care services, restorative care (also known as reablement) focuses on promoting and optimizing functional independence rather than resolving health problems. Restorative care is about helping individuals adapt to their condition by learning or re-learning the skills needed to function in everyday life. Partners in Restorative Care helps improves existing home-based restorative care programs (e.g., Home First) by equipping health care providers with the skills and knowledge to engage with and support family caregivers as vital members of the restorative care team.
Restorative care programs are uniquely designed for post-acute discharge patients who are often seniors with physical or mental disabilities. Restorative care programs help individuals adapt to their condition by learning or re-learning the skills needed to function in everyday life. Family caregivers’ active involvement and understanding of the care interventions are essential to the success of these programs. Caregivers must have the familiarity, confidence and ability to support the care recipient’s recovery and independence. After completing the formal restorative care program, the caregiver will be the primary resource for their loved one. Currently, home care providers often lack the tools and strategies to engage with, educate and coach caregivers to provide home-based restorative care.
Partners in Restorative Care will bridge this gap by creating, testing and implementing co-designed educational programs.
Partners in Restorative Care is a three-year project running from 2019 to 2022. We will be working with our project partners to co-design a simulation-based training program, test and adapt the program, and spread and scale the program to other home care organizations. VHA Home Health Care will guide the development of the training program and coaching of the incubator sites.
Three incubator sites will participate in the testing and evaluation of the training program:
WRHA’s Home Care Program offers Priority Home Service to support individuals living at home. Priority Home is a short-term (up to 90 days), transitional, intensive and restorative service available to eligible individuals who need a temporary increase in support to recover to their full potential at home.
Newfoundland and Labrador is developing and implementing a Home First approach across the health care system to ensure timely access to support and services for individuals with complete needs. This approach is supported by the Canada Newfoundland Home and Community Care Services Funding Agreement.
Home Care Services provides assistance to individuals and families who require supportive, palliative and acute care services to remain independent in their home.
13%
of hospital beds are occupied by patients who no longer require acute care and can be cared for in their homes if given appropriate supports. Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2010
16% of caregivers
providing care for seniors receiving home care reported distress related to their role. Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2010
2%
of home care clients manage without an informal caregiver. Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2010
10%
shift in ALC patients from acute care settings to home care would result in $35 million in savings. Health Council of Canada, 2012
This study provides an in-depth look at transitions from acute care to the community. It showcases three Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) data holdings that inform health system planning about the care needs of elderly Canadians who wait in hospitals for placement in the community. Download the tools
This High Impact Practice describes how the health system partners in the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network employed two key strategies to respond to the increasing number of individuals designated as ALC (alternate level of care). The strategies targeted the increasing number of people needing care and the process for designating individuals to long-term care placement. Download the HIP
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