Homecare of Long-term Care? The Balance of Care in Urban and Rural Northwestern Ontario

• Main Author: Kuluski, Kerry
• Other Authors: Williams, A. Paul
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: long-term care; balance of care; homecare; seniors; rural; policy; older persons; 0769
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/24789

While some individuals can successfully age at home, others with similar levels of need may require facility based long-term care (LTC). The question addressed in this thesis is: “What factors determine whether or not older persons age at home?” I argue that in addition to the characteristics and care needs of individuals (the demand side); access to home and community care (H&CC) at the local level (the supply side) determines whether or not older people receive care at home relative to other settings. In emphasizing the role of the supply side, I draw on Neoinstitutional Theory and the Theory of Human Ecology to examine how institutions of the state (policies, norms, values, and organizational structures) facilitate or constrain opportunities to age at home across urban and rural areas. In conducting my analysis I draw on the Balance of Care (BoC) framework to analyze the characteristics of individuals waiting for LTC placement in Thunder Bay (urban community) and the surrounding Region (rural communities) of Northwestern Ontario. The BoC framework provides the means to estimate the extent to which their needs could potentially be met in the community if home and community care (H&CC) services were available. The results show that individuals waiting for LTC placement in Thunder Bay experienced higher levels of impairment than those in the Region. However in both areas, most individuals required assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (e.g. housekeeping, meal preparation, etc). In both areas there was limited access to informal caregivers. If a H&CC package were to be made available, 8% of those waiting for facility based LTC in Thunder Bay could potentially be supported safely and cost-effectively at home compared to 50% in the surrounding Region. The results confirm that the supply side matters. When H&CC cannot be accessed, LTC may become the default option, particularly in rural and remote areas. If given access to H&CC, a significant proportion of individuals can potentially age at home.