The South West CCAC is doing a good job, according to the first ever Ontario Health Quality Council report on home care in Ontario. The South West out-performed the provincial average in 19 of 22 indicators and matched the provincial average in one.

“We are very pleased with our results,” says CEO Sandra Coleman. “They speak volumes for the commitment of our staff to the principles of Client-Driven Care. But from our perspective, the report is really a tool for improving quality for all home care clients everywhere.”

In December 2008 the Ontario government announced that was implementing quality measures and a public reporting system for home care services, as part of an overall strategy to improve quality. The Ontario Health Quality Council produced the first report in January 2010.

The report is based on a series of indicators derived from the CCAC’s standardized assessment tool. The 22 indicators include measures such as the percentage of clients with pain that isn’t well managed, the percentage of clients who say they have fallen in the last 90 days, the percentage of clients who have problems walking and don’t use an assistive device, and the percentage of clients with serious signs of depression.

“It’s often said that you can’t improve what you don’t measure,” says Coleman. “The OHQC report gives us a baseline for ongoing quality improvement efforts across the South West and across Ontario. We embrace anything that helps us make care better, and we look forward to working with our partners to keep more people safe and healthy in their homes and communities.”

For more information about the Ontario Health Quality Council and the Provincial Quality Report, please visit www.ohqc.ca/en/hc_landing.php.