More than $52 million in provincial funding is being injected into the Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to assist seniors in living independently at home.
The Province is investing $1.1 billion over four years into the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's Aging at Home strategy, with $52,936,046 going to the Central LHIN."This is an important day for the Central LHIN," Kim Baker, chief executive officer for Central LHIN, said during the funding announcement Tuesday, Aug. 31 at North York General Hospital (NYGH). "We are reducing wait times in emergency care and wait time for hospital care."The Central LHIN will use the funding for local programs that provide health services to seniors in the comfort of their own home, aiming to avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, which can ultimately reduce emergency department wait times.The Aging at Home program allows LHINs to provide health care services which are tailor-made to meet individual needs. This year, the program is expanding to include new community-based services such as a transitional care bed program, transitional care/reactivation, home ventilation assessment program and a program to help prevent falls in the community.Central LHIN organizations receiving funding include:* Humber River Regional Hospital, $1,310,924 for geriatric emergency management expansion;* North York General Hospital, $1,782,000 for geriatric outreach services for homebound seniors.* North York General Hospital, $849,939 for mental health and addictions programs;* North York Seniors Centre, $804,221 for supportive housing programs;* Downsview Services to Seniors Inc., $615,279 for transportation and personal support assistance for discharged patients;* Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, $756,880 for adult day programming and dementia caregiver respite;* Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre, $405,559 for a mobile adult day program for Asian, South Asian, Spanish, Caribbean and East African seniors; - Better Living Health and Community Services, $607,427 for light home maintenance, grocery shopping and transportation programs. LHINs are not-for-profit organizations that are responsible for planning, integrating and funding local health services in 14 different geographic areas of the province. LHINs are intended to be the managers for health services that are delivered in hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health centres, community support services and mental health agencies.The Central LHIN is home to over 1.6 million residents in northern Toronto, most of York Region and part of south Simcoe County.