Health and Community Services
March 26, 2009

Budget 2009 Targets Significant Investments to Strengthen Long-Term Care and Community Supports

With the goal of a revitalized and strengthened long-term care and community supports services system, the Williams Government will invest $35 million in Budget 2009 to improve services and enhance supports across the province.

"We are making significant changes and investments to help individuals and to further support the hard work and dedication of care providers across the province," said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services. "Our goal is to provide a comprehensive approach in addressing the financial, health and social needs in the long-term care and community support system. A key piece of our strategy to strengthen the home support system and better serve our clients is the restructuring of the financial assessment process."

The Provincial Government will invest $7.5 million to restructure the home support financial assessment process. An additional $1.1 million will be invested to purchase an internationally-recognized assessment tool (interRAI Home Care assessment instrument) to assist in determining the appropriate level of services for individuals.

The newly restructured financial assessment process takes effect December 1, 2009. This timeline is in place to allow for training of staff to use the new process and to reassess clients currently receiving home support. The examples below illustrate the impact of the new financial assessment process:

  • A couple 65 years of age or older applying for home support currently must complete a financial assessment of their combined income and expenses. If this couple has an income of $2,000 per month and $900 of eligible expenses, they are expected to contribute $1,100 per month in order to receive subsidized home support.  Under the new income-based financial assessment this couple will be required to contribute less than $150 per month.
  • A single individual with an income of $1,000 per month and allowable living expenses of $700 is currently required to contribute $300 per month toward the cost of home support services. Under the new income-based financial assessment, this same individual would not be required to contribute toward the cost of the services.
    •

    Additional investments in Budget 2009 include:
  • $16.5 million ($24.6 million annualized) to increase home support hourly subsidy rates:
    •
  • $7 million for a $0.50 increase March 1, 2009
  • $7.6 million for a $0.71 increase July 1, 2009
  • $1.9 million for a $0.50 increase January 1, 2010
    •
  • $8 million to address home support program growth;  
    •
  • $1.5 million to increase the personal care home subsidy amount available to individuals who qualify for assistance from $1,607/month to $1,644/month, effective April 1, 2009; and,
  • The current liquid asset exemption of $5,000 will be raised to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for couples who receive home support; reside in a long-term care home or personal or community care home; and, those who receive services within community residential programs. The personal allowance currently available to clients in the long term care and community supports system will be raised to $150 per month.
    •

    "Investments in Budget 2009 also acknowledge the important role that home support workers and operators of personal care homes have in our health and community services system," said Minister Wiseman. "As we move forward, these investments will lay a solid foundation for the future of long-term care and community support services in Newfoundland and Labrador."

    - 30 -

    Media contact:

    Ronalda Walsh
    Director of Communications
    Department of Health and Community Services
    709-729-1377, 685-1741
    ronaldawalsh@gov.nl.ca

    2009 03 26                                                    2:10 p.m.
     

    SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us

    All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
    Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement