BC FORUM News

Health Council of Canada releases report on
seniors’ home care in Canada

April, 2012 - The Health Council of Canada’s has released their newest report, “Seniors in need, caregivers in distress: What are the home care priorities for seniors in Canada?”

Download the report here.

The report is based on HCC’s examination of the characteristics of older Canadians who are receiving home care supported by RAI-HC data. It highlights some of the challenges facing these seniors, their family caregivers, and the home care sector.

One of the key findings is that Canadian seniors with complex health needs receive, at most, a few more hours of home care per week than what is offered to seniors assessed with moderate needs. One consequence is that many family caregivers of these high-needs seniors are stretched beyond their capacity, reporting high levels of stress, depression, and difficulties in continuing to provide care. If not addressed, the needs of caregivers will compound the growing home care challenges facing Canada .

The report is available in both official languages on the Health Council’s website, healthcouncilcanada.ca.

We also invite you to see what our guest bloggers are saying about the report at healthcouncilcanada.blogspot.com.

FACT SHEET

Seniors in need, caregivers in distress: What are the home care priorities for seniors in Canada?

Seniors receiving home care

• Although home care is available for people of all ages, 75% of home care clients in the five regions we examined are seniors.

• The majority of home care clients are women. Approximately 40% of home care clients in the regions we examined are over the age of 85.

• Roughly one-third of home care clients in our sample are married. Approximately half of men are married, compared to fewer than one-quarter of the women.

• Many home care recipients in our sample are coping with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, and cancer. At least 20% have dementia (except for the Yukon).

• Nearly one-third of home care clients in our sample have high needs, which means that they have complex health problems such as a physical disability which affects their independence, and they may also have cognitive impairment and/or challenging behaviours.

• The majority (95-98%) of home care clients in our sample have some level of difficulty with activities such as cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, and home maintenance.

• 23-41% need help with personal functions such as bathing, eating, and toileting. • One-third to one-half (36-52%) of seniors across the regions we examined were referred to

home care by a hospital, indicating that home care likely began after a health challenge.

Family caregivers

• 2-3% of home care recipients in our sample do not have a caregiver.

• Based on the regions we examined, if a home care client is married, spouses are most likely to be the primary caregiver; if they are not married (single, widowed, divorced), an adult child is most likely to be the primary caregiver.

• In 2007, there were 2.7 million Canadian family caregivers over the age of 45 who were helping seniors with long-term health conditions. Three-quarters of caregivers were aged 45-64, while one quarter were seniors themselves. Nearly 60% of these family caregivers were women and 57% of caregivers were employed. [Cranswick and Dosman, 2008]

• Family caregivers – particularly spouses – are often seniors themselves and may have their own health problems. One-third of caregivers in the Canadian Community Health Survey reported having at least one selected chronic condition and about one-quarter (31.8%) reported having two or more (23.7%).

• Older caregivers who experience chronic stress are at a greater risk for injury or for aggravating pre-existing health issues as a result of their caregiving responsibilities.

• Generally, levels of distress were higher for caregivers who provided more than 21 hours per week of care, and for those who were caring for people with depression, cognitive deficits, or behavioural problems. [CIHI, 2010]

**Unless otherwise noted, all data in this fact sheet are drawn from our analyses of available RAI-HC data of seniors (65+) from five selected regions that have implemented RAI-HC as part of their home care programs: the Yukon, the Northern Health Authority in British Columbia, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Data from 2010 were used for the Yukon, Northern Health Authority in British Columbia, and Ontario; 2007 data were used for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Nova Scotia, as this was the most recent valid data available at the time of writing. We also analyzed data (in 10 provinces) from the 2008-2009 Canadian Community Health Survey-Healthy Aging component to examine characteristics of seniors (65+) and caregivers (45+).