Recommendations for the Delivery of Long Term Care
for an Aging Population in Canada
1 M-M Bernard, MD., 2 Douglas E. Angus, PhD., 3 Evelyn Shore , 4 Liane Meunier

 

The purpose of this submission to the Romanow Commission is to promote new and sustainable solutions for the delivery of long term care for an aging population in Canada.

Background:

Current Status:

1. The challenge for our governments is to balance health care expenditures against other priorities in a context of changing demographics and of new technologies.

2. Home bound seniors are the fastest growing population.

3. However, care in the home and community is identified as one of the weak points of our current system. Already frail seniors fall short of home care services and have fewer access to long term care institutions. Over 10% of acute care beds are occupied by seniors who wait for rooms in nursing homes.

4. The trend will soon be reinforced in the context of changing demographics and aging baby boomers. The home care budget will become unmanageable by public funding, unless it comprehends new approaches.

In fact, the delivery of services has already begun to change:

Recommendations for the delivery long term services to home bound patients:

Conclusions:
In an aging population with increasing needs for home care, simplified Video Conferencing stations for home users could become an indispensable adjunct of supportive housing for seniors and of long term care services.


1 President, PACE 2000 International Foundation (Programmes for Autonomy and Communication for the Elderly)
2 Vice Dean and Associate Dean (Academic), School of Management, University of Ottawa
3 Member of the "Coalition to Save Medicare" and of the "Ottawa Seniors' Action Network" Board Director, PACE 2000 International Foundation. Four years of home videoconferencing.
4 4th year student, physiotherapy student, School of Rehabilitation, University of Ottawa
Four years of Intergenerational coordination in the Intergenerational Videoconferencing Village
Board Director, PACE 2000 International Foundation.
5 Report to Romanow Commission, Canadian Society of Telehealth, Robert Filler, MD.

 

 


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