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About B.C.
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Home & Community Care
Publicly subsidized home and community care services provide a range of health care and support services for people who have acute, chronic, palliative or rehabilitative health care needs.
These services are designed to complement and supplement, but not replace, your efforts to care for yourself with the assistance of your family, friends and community. Home and community care services provided through the health authorities can assist you on a short-term or long-term basis depending upon your needs.
Publicly subsidized home and community care services:
- help you to remain independent and in your own home for as long as possible;
- provide care at home when you would otherwise require admission to hospital or would stay longer in hospital;
- provide assisted living and residential care services if you can no longer be supported in your home; and
- support you and your family if you are nearing the end of your life at home, in an assisted living residence or a residential care facility, which includes hospice.
Care Options and Cost
In B.C., care and support are available from both publicly subsidized and private pay providers for people having difficulty coping with activities of daily living because of health-related problems or a life-threatening illness.
Are You Eligible?
Home and community care services have general eligibility criteria based on citizenship, residency, age and health condition, as well as specific criteria for each service based on your assessed needs.
How to Arrange for Care
If you wish to arrange for home and community care services, it will be helpful if you know how to contact your health authority, how to prepare for an assessment if required, what is involved in making decisions about your care and developing your care plan, and what to expect once you have been approved for services.
Who Pays for Care?
In B.C., the cost of most home and community care services is shared between the Ministry of Health and you, the person receiving services. This is referred to as a client rate. If payment of your client rate would cause serious financial hardship, you may apply for a temporary reduction of your client rate.
Managing Your Care
Once you start receiving home and community care services, there are some things that may help you to better manage your care, such as what happens when your care needs change, how your family and friends can be supported in their caregiving role, and how to build positive relationships with the staff who provide your care.
Accountability
B.C. has a wide range of mechanisms in place to ensure the health, safety, and quality of care for people receiving home and community care services. Many of these apply to both publicly subsidized as well as private pay services.
Concerns and Complaints
There are a number of ways to resolve concerns about home and community care services. If you believe your concerns have not been addressed by those providing your care, you have several options for pursuing timely resolution of problems or making a formal complaint.
