Program Profile
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) supports the needs of Veterans who require facility-based long-term care through the Long-term Care (LTC) Program and the Intermediate Care component of the Veterans Independence Program (VIP-IC). VAC provides financial support for Veterans who require care in the following settings:
- facilities such as nursing homes and other long-term care facilities with beds that are open to Veterans as well as other provincial residents; and
- facilities with beds designated through contractual arrangements with the province, health authority and/or facility for priority access for World War II and Korean War Veterans.
As of March 31, 2018, VAC was supporting 5,110 Veterans in approximately 1,318 nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across Canada with total expenditures of $237,000,000.
In 2016, the preferred admission beds initiative expedited admission to additional groups of Veterans at some former Veterans hospitals. Between June 2016 and June 2018, 211 Veterans accessed preferred admission beds. The preferred admission beds initiative was implemented as a short-term measure while the Department undertook work to update its health care regulations (this work has not been completed).
Evaluation Purpose and Background
The evaluation of LTC and VIP-IC was conducted between March 2018 and October 2018 and covered the period April 1, 2014 to September 30, 2018. In support of developing the scope for the evaluation, a risk/calibration assessment was completed. Based on the risk assessment, as well as the identified need of the program area, the evaluation focused on the preferred admission beds initiative. The preferred admission beds initiative was the most significant change within LTC and VIP-IC since these programs were last evaluated in 2013-14.
Evaluation Findings
VAC continues to meet its responsibility to Veterans through its financial contribution to the cost of long-term care. The evaluation found that the preferred admission beds initiative aligns with the priorities and objectives of the federal government and VAC. The initiative aligns with VAC’s strategic outcomes and has provided Veterans with greater access in an expedited manner to long-term care.
The evaluation team determined that the majority of Veterans in preferred admission beds are Canadian Armed Forces Veterans who accessed the program through VAC’s frail policy. The evaluation found that there is a continued need for preferred admission beds, however, it also found that bed distribution across the country is uneven and limited to former VAC hospitals located in urban centres. Preferred admission beds are not available in all provinces.
Performance measures were not developed specifically for the preferred bed initiative, making it difficult to assess the initiative’s success. Performance information should be collected and analyzed to inform future direction of the initiative. Clarification of governing authorities for the preferred bed initiative is also required.
In light of VAC’s focus on Care, Compassion, Respect, Veteran centric service, and service excellence towards Veterans, the current long-term care strategy must be renewed. To that end, the evaluation recommends that:
Recommendations
It is recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Commemoration develop and implement a renewed long-term care strategy that takes into consideration, among other things:
- Departmental focus on care, compassion, respect; Veteran centric service; and service excellence;
- Authorities (e.g., regulations, eligibility groups, frail);
- Changing demographics (e.g., aging CAF Veterans, aging Canadian population, bed requirements);
- Funding arrangements with stakeholders (provinces, health authorities, and facilities, resource requirements);
- Data requirements and performance measures; and
- Agreements currently in place.