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Home Care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. According to research, between 500,000 and 800,000 Canadians require publicly funded home care each year. However, the real number of Canadians receiving home care annually is as high as 4 million. Because our government health insurance plan provides limited coverage for home care, 60% to 80% of the time, the people who end up providing home care are relatives or friends. None of us likes to think about the possibility of losing our independence and ending up the resident of a rehabilitation facility or nursing home. But if an accident or illness were to happen and you were unable to perform the basic activities of daily living you’d have no other choice but to rely on your loved ones. Or you could use up your savings on private care, because your government health insurance plan, unfortunately, offers only limited coverage for home nursing care and in-home assistance. Who can apply for Home Care? If you are between 21 – 75 years of age you are eligible to apply for this coverage. As long as you pay your premiums, you’ll be covered for life! How do you qualify for Home Care benefits? To receive the daily benefit for in-home care and assistance you do not need to be completely disabled or critically ill. You simply need to be unable to perform two or more of the basic Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), or to be diagnosed with a cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Activities of Daily Living include: Bathing: the ability to draw water, get in and out of the tub or shower, or wash and dry your entire body. Eating: the ability to consume food that has already been prepared and made available, with or without the use of adaptive utensils. Dressing: the ability to put on and take off all necessary items of clothing, including the ability to put on and remove medical braces or artificial limbs. Toileting: the ability to get to and from the toilet, on and off the toilet, and associated personal hygiene. Transferring: the ability to get in and out of a chair or bed, to walk or wheel any distance on a level surface. What does Home Care Coverage include? Depending on your needs, your daily maximum of up to $250 will be used towards services such as:
How does Home Care work? Your coverage is effective the first of the month following approval of your application. Upon the occurrence of an accident or illness that leaves you needing either short or long-term assistance with the daily activities of living:
Home Care Insurance has a place in every financial plan. You’ll be able to get the quality care you need, without having to give up your independence, without having to use your savings, without having to give up your dignity (do you want your kids bathing you?), and without becoming a burden to anyone.
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