December 9, 2021 — There are no updates to the home care services data. Please refer to CIHI’s home care information and Quick Stats for the most recent data.
November 19, 2020 — Home care providers complete assessments for new and existing clients to determine and update their care needs. In some provinces and territories, an initial screening assessment is done before the full assessment to ensure that urgently needed services are put in place quickly. Most assessments (90%) are completed in community settings, such as the client’s home. Assessments completed in hospitals inform discharge planning decisions, particularly for long-term care facilities.
In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, home care providers temporarily changed assessment methods to avoid close contact with clients. At the same time, some home care clients placed their services on hold to limit contact with people outside their household.
Assessments for new home care clients declined
In April 2020, the number of screening assessments declined 25% compared with March 2020, regardless of where the assessment was completed. Mirroring this decline, the number of full assessments completed also declined substantially (44%) compared with March 2020. By June 2020, screening assessments had nearly rebounded to March 2020 levels, but full assessments had not.
Screening assessments and full assessments, February to June 2020
The number of screening assessments and full assessments both declined during the first wave of the pandemic. Screening assessments dropped from about 18,500 in February to about 13,500 in April. They then rose slightly in May, and increased to about 17,000 in June. Full assessments dropped more steeply, from almost 32,000 in February to 14,600 in April. They also rose slightly in May and increased to about 19,400 in June.
Notes
Includes screening assessment data from Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario, and full assessment data from Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
March to June 2020 is the early pandemic period; February data is provided for context only.
Source
Home Care Reporting System, 2018–2019 to 2020–2021 (open-year data), Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Community home care assessments declined substantially
In the community, the total number of home care assessments completed (for both new and existing clients) during the first wave of the pandemic declined significantly compared with 2019. This does not mean that services were not provided, but it does indicate that the system was not operating as usual.
The increase in hospital assessments in March (26%) likely reflects efforts to increase the availability of hospital beds for potential COVID-19 patients. Assessment numbers declined after March (with provincial variations).
Home care assessments by location, February to June 2020
The number of home care assessments declined during the first wave of the pandemic. Compared with 2019, in-hospital assessments rose 26% in March (after being virtually unchanged from 2019 levels in February); they then decreased compared with 2019, by 30% in April, 40% in May and 20% in June. Assessments in the community were 7% higher in February but then decreased below 2019 levels each month during the first wave: by about 25% in March, about 60% in April and May, and 40% in June.
Notes
Includes data from Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
Hospital assessments represent 10% of total assessments.
March to June 2020 is the early pandemic period; February data is provided for context only.
Source
Home Care Reporting System, 2018–2019 to 2020–2021 (open-year data), Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Hospitals shifted to virtual assessments
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most home care assessments were conducted in person. After March 2020, most screening assessments for hospitalized patients were completed by phone, partly in an effort to limit the number of non-essential staff in hospitals. Between April and June 2020, 72% of assessments were completed by phone; this was a 53% increase over the same period in 2019.
Screening assessments completed in hospital, by type of assessment, February to June 2020
The mode of in-hospital assessments shifted during the first wave of the pandemic. In February, about 30% of assessments were done by phone. That rose to 40% in March, and then to more than 70% for April to June. In-person assessments correspondingly decreased, from 70% in February to 60% in March and only 25% to 30% for April to June.
Notes
Includes data from Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario.
March to June 2020 is the early pandemic period; February data is provided for context only.
Source
Home Care Reporting System, 2018–2019 to 2020–2021 (open-year data), Canadian Institute for Health Information.
What we don’t know from this study
- Were some people unable to start home care services? If so, who?
- What were the consequences of not being able to start home care?
- How was the provision of home care services impacted by COVID-19?
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Data tables
These data tables contain information on home care for March to June 2019 and March to June 2020.