Steinbach MLA and Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Kelvin Goertzen, announced that the province released a report commissioned following a review of Manitoba home care services by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) in 2015.
“Provinces across Canada are struggling with the increased costs of health care associated with aging populations and chronic disease,” said Goertzen. “Manitobans deserve high-quality health care and home care services, and our government is reviewing this report and considering the recommendations. The task will be made significantly more challenging by proposed federal changes to the Canada Health Transfer, which will take $18 million from Manitoba’s health care system in 2017-18.”
The 2015 OAG review recommended steps be taken to improve service quality, timeliness and consistency and that needs assessments and care plans be completed to ensure both short and long-term strategies are in place to meet the needs of Manitobans. The Future of Home Care Services in Manitoba report was developed by consultant Reg Toews.
“Reductions to health transfer funding by the federal government will have a significant impact on our ability to deliver health-care services for Manitobans,” said Goertzen. “We will keep advocating for the federal government to contribute its share to health care for all Canadians, and continue to make appropriate investments to improve this service relied on by so many Manitoba families.”
The report finds Manitoba is projected to experience a significant increase in home care admissions over the next 20 years, requiring a financial investment of an additional $572 million over the same time frame to provide basic services for clients.
“We want to thank Mr. Toews, as well as the many stakeholders, staff, clients and families he consulted for the thorough work on this vital and complicated issue,” said Goertzen. “The report reflects the contributions of a wide cross-section of Manitobans and as a result provides a very detailed analysis of the issues and a number of recommendations for our consideration.”
To read the report, visit: www.gov.mb.ca/health/homecare.
