Quebec is expanding its home support program to nine regions, reducing costs for people with a loss of autonomy and helping them remain at home longer. The Tuesday announcement in Quebec’s Official Gazette said the expansion, which started as a pilot project in Alma, Rimouski and Beloeil, will provide more people including, seniors and caregivers with access to personal assistance services and respite care through the Financial Assistance Program for Home Support Services. J. Benoît Caron, executive director of the Co-operative Network of Social Economy Enterprises Providing Home Care, which represents 95 social economy home care enterprises (EÉSADs), said the program will expand access to home support services for people who previously did not qualify for comparable services through Quebec’s public health-care system. “Today is a landmark day for thousands of seniors, their loved ones, and all EÉSADs in Quebec. This partial rollout is the result of a long-term effort carried out in collaboration with the government to better recognize the expertise of EÉSADs and meet the growing needs of the population,” he said. Most of the EÉSADs’ 110,000 clients are low-income seniors over the age of 70 experiencing a loss of autonomy. Personal assistance services include help with bathing and personal hygiene, assistance with getting up and going to bed, as well as help with dressing. Respite care services provide essential support to caregivers who assist a family member on a daily basis. In January, Quebec Health Minister Sonia Bélanger launched the National Home Support Policy, increasing funding for home support services by $107 million. Caron explained that the program reduces the cost of services by providing financial assistance that is deducted directly from the user’s bill. Since April 1, eligible users can receive up to $26.08 in assistance toward their bill. He said that for personal assistance and respite services, which cost $34.30 an hour, the lowest-income users could see their cost reduced to about $8 an hour before factoring in the additional home-support tax credit available to people over 70. That brings the estimated cost down to about $5 an hour. The rollout to 45 EÉSADs in the nine regions is expected to begin in the fall, according to Caron.
