For Immediate Release                                                            

May 01 , 2006

MCGUINTY EXPANDING HOME CARE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES IN KINGSTON

KINGSTON – More residents in Kingston will receive health care services at home as the McGuinty government is investing $1,435,600 to expand home care and community support services this year, MPP John Gerretsen announced today on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.

“We’re strengthening these services so that people in Kingston will receive the dedicated, compassionate care they deserve, in the their own homes,” Gerretsen said. “Home care and community support services offer a greater sense of dignity and quality of life for all people, including seniors and people most vulnerable in our community.”

The increase in home care funding is also due to improvements in the pay and benefits for personal support workers. These improvements are being made in response to a report by former Ontario health minister Elinor Caplan on the Community Care Access Centres’ (CCACs) Request For Proposal process.

The funding announced today includes:

• $1,226,800 in new funding to Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Community Care Access Centre for home care, end-of-life care, nursing, personal support and in-home rehabilitation services

• $208,800 in new funding to community support agencies in Kingston for services such as community support services, acquired brain injury and assistive living services in supportive housing.

This funding is part of the government’s $2 billion investment in home care and community support services.

Residents of Kingston will also benefit from other changes being made to home care services as a result of the Caplan report. These include:

• Better job security for nurses, personal support workers, therapists and case managers by extending CCAC contracts up to nine years

• Hiring five more complaints coordinators as the ministry’s LTC action line is expanded to include home care complaints.

“Our government is committed to improving the work environment for those dedicated people delivering home care services, and to continuing the good work undertaken by the Honourable Elinor Caplan,” said Smitherman. “Personal support workers and other home care workers make an invaluable contribution to the quality of our health care system.”

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan to build a health care system that delivers on three priorities - keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

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For more information contact:
John Gerretsen, MPP
(613) 547-2385