Veterans Affairs Canada and the Government of Ontario The Continuing Care Research Project for Veterans Affairs Canada and the Government of Ontario Synthesis Report Prepared by: Jo Ann Miller, PhD, Hollander Analytical Services Ltd. Marcus Hollander, PhD, Hollander Analytical Services Ltd. Margaret MacAdam, PhD, Age Advantage April 2008 Hollander Analytical Services Ltd. Tel: (250) 384-2776 300 – 895 Fort Street Fax: (250) 389-0105 Victoria, BC, V8W 1H7
[email protected] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Introduction Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) supports a wide range of health and supportive services for veterans. It also provides funding to “top up” existing provincial services, as needed, and provides funding for services that are not funded by provincial Ministries of Health. There are numerous categories of veterans and benefits, within three main health programs: the Health Benefits Program; the Veterans Independence Program (VIP); and Long Term Care. In 1999, in response to a growing number of clients on waiting lists for beds in long term care facilities, VAC implemented the Overseas Service Veterans At Home Pilot Project. This pilot project offered certain clients, on waiting lists, who met nursing level care and military service requirements (i.e., Overseas Veterans, OSVs), access to some VIP services. Previously, the OSVs had not been eligible for these services. In 2003, VAC implemented the OSV/VIP Program nationally. In 2005, a Frail policy was introduced which provided a new gateway to VIP services and Health Care Benefits for clients with a pensioned condition who satisfied the frail criteria. Given the results of an OSV/VIP pilot study, and the establishment of VIP services as a new benefit for OSVs, VAC was interested in conducting a more rigorous study of the OSV/VIP initiative, both for internal planning and policy development and as a means of obtaining information that could contribute to broader health policy discussions in Canada.