A Milestone in Home Care Modernization

As part of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is approaching a significant milestone in its plan to modernize home care services as part of a connected and convenient health care system.

When the Convenient Care at Home Act, 2023 is proclaimed into force on June 28, 2024, the 14 Home and Community Care Support Services organizations will be amalgamated to form a single new service organization named Ontario Health atHome.

Ontario Health atHome will be a Crown agency and a subsidiary of Ontario Health with a separate board and chief executive officer. It will be directly accountable to Ontario Health and, through Ontario Health, accountable to the Ministry of Health.

Ontario Health atHome will continue to support the coordination of home care services across the province, and support Ontario Health Teams as they take on responsibility for home care. This will make it easier for people to connect to the services they need, including home and community care services, long-term care home and other placement management services, and information and referrals to other health and social services.

Ontario Health atHome care coordinators will be assigned to work within Ontario Health Teams and other front-line care settings to support greater health system integration and facilitate seamless transitions for people from hospital or primary care to home care services.

Continuity of Care and A Smooth Transition

Plans are in place to ensure the transition from Home and Community Care Support Services to Ontario Health atHome does not disrupt or change the services patients are currently receiving. Patients and caregivers will continue to have access to the services they need through the very same people and providers through this transition period.

All current employees of Home and Community Care Support Services organizations, including care coordinators and other unionized staff, will automatically become employees of Ontario Health atHome as of June 28, 2024, and all collective agreements and employment agreements will be binding on Ontario Health atHome. Organizations that work with Home and Community Care Support Services will continue to do so in the same way as they do today.

The ministry is grateful for the work of the home care workforce and will continue to work closely with our valued partners across the health system toward our common goal of improving home care for the benefit of patients, caregivers and care coordination and care delivery staff.

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