Home support should be more accessible for aging residents, says seniors' advocate

Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate says the province needs to make changes to home support to make it more financially accessible.

"In our province, even people on income support, who get home support free when they turn 65, they have to pay a co-pay," Susan Walsh told reporters last week.

She added home support is completely free for people over 65 in other provinces.

"We know there's many seniors who go ... into personal care homes because they can't afford the co-pay."

Walsh recently released a report calling on the province to overhaul seniors' care in the province.

Home support in Newfoundland and Labrador is available to those over 65, along with adults or children with disabilities or those who require end of life care, who require assistance with daily living.

Walsh says changes need to be made to allow for more people to access care outside of those with a personal care need. She also believes changes could keep more people in their homes.

"We have seniors who can't cook for themselves, who are unable to clean their homes, and they don't qualify if they can still bathe themselves, for example. That doesn't make any sense," Walsh said. 

"What does it take to keep people healthy and home? And that's the way we should be approaching home support."

Speaking with reporters outside the House of Assembly on Thursday, Premier John Hogan told reporters allowing seniors to age in their homes is a priority of his government.

"If we do manage to keep people at home, it keeps them out of personal care homes. It keeps them out of long-term care homes… it keeps them out of hospitals," Hogan said.

Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell says the province is always seeking improvements but did commit to making support more financially accessible.

"That's always something that we are working on doing and there are a number of factors that weigh into that," Howell said. "Right now, we've been able to offer significant supports to individuals who need that support in their homes, or in the agencies or personal care homes."

However, any legislative change to seniors' care wouldn't happen until at least the fall, as the current House of Assembly sitting closed on Thursday.

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