Canada’s Ontario Government has announced an investment of C$15m ($10.85m) over a period of two years in the Community Access to Long-Term Care (CALTC) programme.

This initiative will give seniors access to essential long-term care services in their own homes, as a part of the government's strategy to enhance public services and facilitate safe ageing for more seniors at home.

Ontario long-term care minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta said: “Our government is protecting our long-term care system with targeted investments that ensure people get the right care in the right place.

“By giving seniors access to more services while living safely at home, the Community Access to Long-Term Care programme will improve seniors’ quality of life, support caregivers, reduce avoidable hospital visits and delay the need for live-in long-term care.”

The CALTC programme, unveiled at the Seniors Health and Wellness Village at Peel Manor in Brampton, is set to provide home-dwelling individuals, including seniors on the long-term care waitlist or those soon to be eligible, with access to a range of services.

These services encompass nursing support, clinical and personal care, dementia resources, and wound care.

The programme is initially launching in collaboration with three long-term care homes in the Hamilton and Greater Toronto areas, encompassing Peel Manor's Seniors Health and Wellness Village.

Plans are in place to broaden CALTC to additional sites by next year, with an emphasis on reaching rural and northern communities.

Improving the quality of care and life for long-term care residents is a cornerstone of the government's agenda.

The strategy to enhance senior care is founded on four pillars. These are quality and enforcement; staffing and care; constructing modern, safe, and comfortable homes; and providing seniors with quicker access to necessary services.

In an earlier development, the Ontario government introduced the Health Innovation Pathway.