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The Ford government is making a seniors care pilot permanent, utilizing paramedics to provide non-emergency care and support to those who want to continue living in their own homes.
On Tuesday, Ontario announced it would be spending $89 million to turn the 2020 pilot, which served roughly 81,000 people, into a full-time offering from the provincial government.
“By making this program permanent and delivering care to seniors in the comfort of their homes, (the program) will continue to protect Ontario’s long-term care system, reducing avoidable hospital visits, supporting caregivers and improving seniors’ quality of life,” Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, minister of long-term care, said in a statement.
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The pilot was introduced in 2020, expanded in 2022 and made permanent in 2025.
Under the plan, paramedics are relied upon to provide non-emergency medical support, like diagnostics or at-home treatments, to seniors. They also offer remote monitoring in some cases.
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The government said the care is usually offered within “hours to days” and reduces the number of visits seniors have to make to the emergency room in cases where symptoms escalate.
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People are eligible for the service if they’re on the wait list for long-term care or have been assessed as eligible for long-term care.
Referrals are handled by Ontario Health atHome, the province’s palliative and home care agency, although people can also self-refer or rely on family.
Greg Sage, president of the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs, welcomed the announcement.
“The pilot project has demonstrated the unique role paramedics play in our health care system outside of 9-1-1 response, by enabling seniors to age at home and reduce emergency room visits,” he said in a statement.
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