VIP Service - Keeping Seniors in their Home

The Veteran’s Independence Program (VIP) has existed since 1915 and I’m amazed that it has not been expanded to the general population. This program concentrates on keeping a person in their home, including housekeeping and home maintenance, areas of concern that cause so many to give up and move to more expensive assisted living or even long term care. From a recent Toronto Star article …..

VIP focuses on what Ontario's Community Care Access system (explained on the front page of this newpaper today), does not.

"In Ontario, if you just need a little help with house cleaning, you won't be eligible for CCAC home care," says Margaret MacAdam, a Toronto gerontologist. "In Ontario, you have to need help bathing to get CCAC services. They're targeting a more needy population."

In fact, home care provided by the Ontario government's community care program is limited to providing medically necessary services to maintain seniors at home. That, says B.C. health policy analyst Marcus Hollander, means Ontario is ignoring the critically important role of non-medical services.

"If the VIP services keep people out of facilities," he says, "they are medically necessary."

Hollander led a research team that compared the costs and outcomes of VIP home care versus long-term care and supportive housing. The team interviewed veterans, widows and caregivers across the country.

One of the findings was that wait lists for nursing homes shrank when veterans joined VIP. Once they could manage at home, with support, they no longer wanted to get into a nursing home.

"We showed that clients – and taxpayers – get better value for money when you substitute home care for facility care," says Hollander.

But MacAdam notes that the bedrock of home support is still the family.

"None of the public programs replaces family contributions. If there's a breakdown, you call your daughter. She may not live in your city but you'll count on her to take action. If you're on your own, you're counting on the reliability of the service."

Why are we not doing this to a greater extent?