Health Care Coverage for Older People Canada

The need for improvements in the coordination and integration of services has been identified as an urgent priority at every level of government responsible for health and human services. Following consultation with health care policy makers and decision-makers, continuity of care was identified as a priority area for research funding by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF). Although care (case) management models and processes are used to coordinate care within home care and certain other programs, case management is not a common feature within the Canadian health system, as is the case in other industrialized countries. Boundary-spanning case management roles remain relatively rare, and individuals cannot generally engage independent professional case managers to assist them in navigating through the complex web of community-based and formal health services. Ironically, case management is more evident in the disability management dimension of private health and disability insurance than in any other part of the Canadian health system.