Today, my Office is releasing its Review of the Support Provided by Veterans Affairs Canada through its Veterans Independence Program.
This Review is the second in a series of three papers produced by my Office that examines the provision of healthcare support services by Veterans Affairs Canada to our Veterans, family members, survivors and caregivers. To complement this paper, a Review on Veterans Affairs Canada’s Long-Term Care Program has been published. The third installment will be a full review of publicly and privately funded assisted living options for Veterans whose health status would enable them to benefit from such a model of shelter and care.
The Veterans Independence Program is one of the three pillars of Veterans Affairs Canada’s health and medical support programs, along with the Long-Term Care Program and the Health Benefits Program (Treatment Benefits). In fact, it is Veterans Affairs Canada’s flagship home and residential care program providing assistance to qualified Veterans, their survivors/primary caregivers and certain civilians, as defined in the Veterans Health Care Regulations, so they can maintain their health, quality of life, dignity and independence in their homes and residences for as long as possible.
While the program fills a need for eligible Veterans who wish to remain in their homes, it must be responsive to the issues that have been raised in this Review: eligibility, accessibility and cost factors of the program.
As it currently exists, the program employs a complex set of eligibility criteria and applies different eligibility rules to the various categories of eligible Veterans. These eligibility criteria must be reasonable in their application, not overly complex, and be open to revision when situations arise that make it clear that the existing criteria are outdated, unfair, or inappropriate given the circumstances.
Concerning cost, when taken on a per patient cost basis, the Review finds that the Veterans Independence Program provides excellent value for the services it delivers, and, at the same time, achieves its goal of keeping Veterans living independently and with dignity in their homes for as long as possible in a cost-effective manner.
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