Home support plan for seniors raises both hope and concern

Tashi Farmilo

As Quebec launches its National Home Support Policy, “Mieux chez soi,” groups across the province are offering cautious support, lauding the government’s recognition of aging in place as a right while underscoring that its success depends on full and fair implementation.

The policy, announced in January by Health Minister Sonia Bélanger, pledges more than $107 million to reinforce home support services. It designates CLSCs as the central gateway to home care, expands eligibility for financial support including a Home Autonomy Allowance for caregivers, and seeks to modernize service delivery through public, private, and social economy partners. Framed as a major shift in care philosophy, the policy aims to ensure that older adults and people experiencing loss of autonomy can remain in their homes as long as possible.

FADOQ, Quebec’s largest seniors’ advocacy network, welcomed the framework, noting it places users and caregivers at the centre of the system. “FADOQ is pleased to see CLSCs fully assume their role as local services,” said Yves Bouchard, president of the organization. “It is crucial to simplify the user journey for accessing home care and support services and to assist them in navigating the system more effectively.”

But in the Outaouais, advocacy groups say the policy’s success will be limited unless it is backed by structural reforms. Action Santé Outaouais and AQDR Outaouais warned that the region continues to suffer from chronic underfunding, estimated at $350 million annually, and has one of the lowest rates of publicly funded home support hours in the province. Many residents rely on private providers or older mechanisms like the employment-services voucher system to fill the gap.

They also raised concerns that users who choose self-managed home support must still act as employers to receive services, often navigating complex administrative and legal responsibilities on their own. Without better support for caregivers and improved training for service workers, they argue, the burden will remain unfairly placed on families.

The organizations pointed to the looming shortage in long-term care, with nearly 400 beds currently missing and up to 1,500 projected to be lacking by 2040, as a warning signal. In their view, home support and institutional care are closely linked, and failure to invest in one undermines the other.

FADOQ emphasized that expanding services will require far more than a policy document. The group is calling for annual home support funding to double from $3 billion to $6 billion to meet rising demand, which is expected to grow sharply as those aged 65 and older approach one-quarter of the population by 2031. It also urged better public communication, noting that many older adults still struggle to understand or access available services.

While the policy includes promising pilot projects and new financial tools, advocates agree that success will require political will, staffing, and regional equity. As Bouchard put it, “FADOQ will closely monitor the implementation of this policy to ensure it results concretely in the care of all individuals awaiting their first home support service, as well as an increase in the number of service hours provided per provider.”