Ontario Ministry of Health reverses course on guardianship requirement for disabled woman with Alzheimer’s disease
TORONTO, ONTARIO, July 17, 2017 /CNW/ – Toronto is committed to making care for people with dementia and their caregivers as safe as possible, and we believe everyone deserves to live in a home where they are safe and have access to the supports they need.
This commitment is at the core of the Ontario government’s care continuum strategy, which includes supporting caregivers through the creation and implementation of the Ontario Caregiver Support Plan.
On April 26, 2017, the Ontario government was asked to make changes to the Ontario Caregiver Support Plan (OCSP) based on public consultation. Following a thorough review, the Ontario Ministry of Health, with the assistance of the Ontario Public Health and Social Services Ontario (PH&SO) and the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS), has made significant changes to the process for setting the level of care and care goals for persons with dementia. These changes align the guidelines and targets for support with the needs of all caregivers, including those with dementia themselves.
The changes are effective immediately for persons with dementia. The changes also align the OCSP levels of care based on the care goals and level of support in the plan with the guidelines and targets set as part of the Ontario Caregiver Support Plan (OCSP).
The changes are not intended to make the OCSP a standard to which other care plans must adhere. They are a means of changing the way the plan is set and communicated to ensure that decisions that affect care are based on the needs of all residents with a disability and their caregivers.
The Ministry of Health has also provided a summary of the changes that can be made to the OCSP as part of the plan review. A letter outlining the changes on page 3 of the summary can be found here.
“As well-intentioned and committed to making sure that residents with dementia and their caregivers are safe and well supported, the Ontario government has taken an important step forward to ensure that residents with dementia are supported with and get the levels of care they need,” said Jocelyn Ladouceur, Ontario deputy minister