The First Ministers' Accord on Health Renewal and the Future of Home Care in Canada

Abstract

On February 5, 2003, the Prime Minister and Premiers of seven provinces signed an agreement, the First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal, outlining the direction of public healthcare in Canada in the near future. The Accord addressed several key issues in healthcare, namely prescription drug coverage, home care, diagnostic services, timeliness of care and primary healthcare reform. This paper critiques the home-care initiatives outlined by the First Ministers, on the grounds that they do not speak to issues of access to long-term care or to non-professional home care-services that are deemed critical by the elderly who wish to stay at home and who represent an increasing proportion of the country's population. Furthermore, the Accord does not establish legislative protection or separate funding, both of which are necessary to ensure that home care as a whole receives an adequate share of resources and political attention over the medium and long-term.

A critical policy analysis of an emerging agenda for home care in one Canadian province

“…The First Ministers’ Accord also advocates allocation of increased resources towards post‐acute care in the home. Policy critics contend that this primary focus on acute care and professional services will further disadvantage long‐term care and social services that have been associated with a comprehensive home‐care programme for people who are elderly, and those with long‐term or chronic health challenges and disabilities (Motiwala et al . 2004, Rachlis 2004).…”

“…Inclusion of home care as a key area of healthcare provision may be the result of hospital restructuring and the effects of early discharge, albeit often without funding to support the burgeoning needs. Because of its dominant focus on the effects of hospital restructuring and surgical wait times, there are questions as to whether the deal can also realise a vision of health reform that embodies broader primary healthcare principles in the delivery of home‐care services (Motiwala et al . 2004).…”

Seniors at Risk: The Association between the Six-Month Use of Publicly Funded Home Support Services and Quality of Life and Use of Health Services for Older People

“…Recent reports on the future direction of health care in Canada (Health Canada, 2003;Kirby & LeBreton, 2002;Romanow, 2002) emphasize the need to coordinate and target home care services based on evidence about the most beneficial and efficient mix of services. However, little information is available to inform policy makers as they attempt to restructure home care services (Fassbender, 2000;Motiwala, Flood, Coyte, & Laporte, 2005;Soderstrom, Tousignant, & Kaufman, 1999). There is a paucity of research regarding the outcomes associated with current home care practice in relation to older people, either directly for recipients or indirectly for other parts of the healthcare system (Caplan, 2006).…”