Out of place: mediating health and social care in Ontario's long-term care sector

Can J Aging. 2007;26 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):63-75. doi: 10.3138/cja.26.suppl_1.063.

Abstract

The paper discusses two reforms in Ontario's long-term care. The first is the commercialization of home care as a result of the implementation of a "managed competition" delivery model. The second is the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's privileging of "health care" over "social care" through changes to which types of home care and home support services receive public funding. It addresses the effects of these reforms on the state–non-profit relationship, and the shifting balance between public funding of health and social care. At a program level, and with few exceptions, homemaking services have been cut from home care, and home support services are more medicalized. With these changes, growing numbers of people no longer eligible to receive publicly funded home care services look for other alternatives: they draw available resources from home support, they draw on family and friend networks, they hire privately and pay out of pocket, they leave home and enter an institution, or they do without.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Commerce
  • Community Networks / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Financing, Government
  • Health Services Accessibility / economics
  • Home Care Services / economics
  • Home Care Services / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Humans
  • Long-Term Care / economics*
  • Long-Term Care / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Negotiating*
  • Ontario
  • Social Support*

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