Local senior advocates are taking a wait-and-see approach to the province’s strategy to help seniors remain as independent as possible in their communities.
Recently, the province released some details on how the $25 million set aside from the 2012 budget will be used to enhance home care programs and add more services for Alberta seniors and home care clients.
Central Alberta Council on Aging president Viggo Nielsen said he is pleased with the funding but the money will have little effect unless it is put in the right place.
“The money sounds good and if it is performed in the right way, it will be good,” said Nielsen. “The devil is in the details. We just have to wait to see who it is going to be given to and how it will be used.”
Nielsen said one of the problems with home care is there are a handful of private organizations that provide the care. He said since home care in the province was privatized, the quality has diminished. He would like to see home care return to Alberta’s health system.
“As a consequence, there really is no continuity between how the care is,” said Nielsen. “Some of the private organizations pay a bare minimum wage and therefore they do not get good, quality staff.”
Nielsen said there is a vast need for co-ordinated home care in Central Alberta by people who really know what they are doing.
The province announced that $10.6 million will be used to expand the adult day programs to allow for more spaces for medical, recreational, social and related services.
In the next year, as many as 440 spaces could be created across the province in existing facilities that offer day programs.
The number of spaces will be added depending on the need.
The 24-hour on-call registered nurses coverage will be expanded with $1 million in the next year. A new $13.4-million program, Destination Home, will help seniors return home more quickly after a hospital stay and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
The program is currently under development and expected to be gradually implemented over the next three years.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com