President Don Grieg
Gyro Club of Sherwood Park
Subject: Gyro Home Care Presentation – April 3rd, 2025
This is a summary of the Home Care presentation given at our April 5, 2025, Gyro meeting. Given my experience and that of other Gyros and Gyrettes, this is an important and timely subject for all Gyros and Gyrettes as well as family members and friends.
- As noted at the meeting, some 900,000 Albertans are currently involved in providing home care services in Alberta. Last year, AHS (Alberta Health Services) provided home care services to over 118,000 Albertans, with 10,000 receiving care services in their homes and communities. The system employs 113,000 staff members, including 8,700 physicians, 6,800 healthcare aides, and benefits from the services of 14,300 volunteers. In 2017–18, funding for home care and community care services in Alberta exceeded $2 billion.
- A growing concern as the Alberta population ages, is that the number of people requiring healthcare services, could exceed the number of community healthcare spaces available within the province. Therefore, a substantial number of older adults will need, and will want, to receive home care. Consequently, home care providers must be knowledgeable and capable of delivering a wide range of challenging and essential healthcare services. As many home care providers do not have the required knowledge and skills, a considerable number of them suffer from stress and, in some cases, put their loved ones at risk.
- As Judy Talen of Home Instead pointed out, receiving home care service can be done on a private basis or with the assistance of AHS. If AHS is involved, they will appoint a Case Manager, who will visit the home to provide an assessment. Based on this assessment, AHS will provide and pay for home care services as needed. Alternatively, home care services can be supplied on a combination basis, in which the caregiver can choose a professional home care company to assist in the provision of home care services. In this scenario, the home care provider and AHS will share in the costs related to home care service.
- It is not by accident that Home Instead is the world’s largest home care company. My personal experience was that they are professional in every aspect of home care. Not only did they provide professional home care services, but they also helped train the at-home caregivers in the skills required to achieve the desired level of home care service. As I mentioned, the caregivers at Home Instead showed such compassion and care that they became friends of the family.
- One of the challenges identified by Judy Talen was that many home care givers were unfamiliar with the availability of financial services and tax deductions related to home care services. Therefore, Sarah Wohlgemuth of the World Financial Group was invited to provide information on the financial and tax services available to homecare providers. Such benefits can be substantial and beneficial to home care providers. Information on this subject is not readily accessible.
In summary, based on my experience and that of other Gyros and Gyrettes, it is essential to be aware of and knowledgeable in providing home care services. There are many sources of help and information on the internet, and if you need assistance, AHS is a good place to start. Additionally, seeking the advice of a home care company, such as Home Instead, will provide invaluable information and advice.
Thank you, Al Bleiken and Lawrence Zalasky