Facts & Figures - Publicly Funded Home Care

Note: All Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) have transitioned to Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS).

Who can receive home care in Ontario?

Any Ontarian that meets the eligibility criteria for publicly funded home care can receive the service.

Who oversees publicly funded home care?

In Ontario, publicly funded home care falls under the jurisdiction of the MOHLTC, which provides stewardship of the health system. Local health services are planned and funded by Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS).

What is the average cost of care in Ontario?

Average Cost of Care (for one week for 424 seniors)
Hospital Bed	$2.5 million
Long-term Care Bed	$374,000.00
Care at Home	$125,000.00

Average Per Diem Cost
Hospital Bed	$842.00/day
Long-Term Care Bed	$126.00/day
Care at Home	$42.00/day

(2011) HOME First Shifts care of Seniors to HOME. LHINfo Minute, Northeastern Ontario Health Care Update

Caring for terminally ill patients in an acute-care hospital is estimated to cost over 40% more than providing care in a hospital-based palliative-care unit, more than double the cost of providing care in a hospice bed, and over 10 times more than providing at-home care.¹
The cost of providing palliative care in the last month of a patient’s life averages about:
- $1,100 per day in an acute-care hospital bed
- $630 to $770 per day in a bed in a palliative-care unit
- $460 per day in a hospice bed
- under $100 per day where at-home care is provided.²

References

1. Auditor General of Ontario (2014). 2014 Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario. Chapter 3.08, Palliative Care. http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en14/308en14.pdf
2. Ibid