Focusing on community need and financial sustainability

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

New efforts to streamline the Home Support Program is saving Strathmore thousands of dollars, reducing administrative costs and providing a framework for the program’s future sustainability.
Three years ago, the Home Support Program – in operation since 2012 – made up over 50 per cent of the entire Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) budget. The program assists seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families to live in their homes as independently as possible by providing housekeeping services, grocery shopping and companion care.
The new model aims to implement new income thresholds, a new fee structure, a medical referral requirement and a reassessment process every six months.
As a result, FCSS is reducing administrative time to 30 per cent of the current resources and cutting costs to only 31 per cent of the overall budget, while bringing down the 67 per cent subsidy rate to below 50 per cent.
“We’re confident that with the new model and the implementation of (policy 5101) we’ll be able to see that those numbers continue to shrink over the next couple years as we find more efficiencies and new processes,” said Tracey Simpson, director of community and protective services for the Town of Strathmore.
“Our existing model that we have for our Home Support Program, we’re averaging about 67 per cent subsidy… these estimates on subsidies include about 40 to 50 per cent of our administrative time previously going to this program and in 2015, the Home Support Program was over 50 per cent of the entire FCSS budget.”
The new model is based on a budget of 4,000 billable hours and a subsidy of 48 per cent to clients. Furthermore, the adjustments result in a $50,000 savings that Simpson said could aid other programs or be used in external community grants.
The program previously averaged nearly 5,000 billable hours, or the equivalent to 2.75 full-time positions of home support workers. The data is based on information collected from 2015 to 2017. For 2018, the budget is based on three full-time equivalent positions, or 6,000 billable hours, along with a number of changes that will affect current clients on Jan. 1, 2019.
According to the report, income thresholds will be enforced as a condition of eligibility as based on the Alberta Seniors Benefits Special Needs Assistance Program for clients older than 65 years of age, and the Alberta Child Health Benefit Program for clients under the age of 65. Hourly rates for service are being adjusted, and clients will be reassessed every six months to ensure the assigned duties are meeting their needs. The program also requires a medical referral from either a home care worker or medical practitioner.
While the program also no longer offers a lawn care or snow removal service, FCSS stated such services will be supported through new partnerships for volunteer-based programs such as new youth lawn care businesses, Snow Angels and a Friendly Visitor program.
“For the first time in my five years on council I have felt fully confident on where we’re going, and I know that FCSS is relatively new and I can’t tell you how happy I was to see this and have confidence and certainty in the numbers and the budget going forward,” said Councillor Denise Peterson.
She added the biggest concern around the community she’s heard is rooted in the loss of the snow removal and lawn care service, and was grateful to see the inclusion of programs such as the Snow Angels.
Other council members were concerned about the impact on current clients and the possibility of creating confusion. However, Simpson informed council during the regular council meeting on July 18 that FCSS staff will notify and educate clients, conduct home visits and new assessments upon the adoption of the policy by council. The process is expected to take nearly five months. FCSS currently has 103 clients.
“It’s incumbent on us as council and the town to look at efficiencies of a way that we can cut back,” said acting Deputy Mayor Lorraine Bauer. “Although this Home Support Program is very important in our community… we want quality of life, which is what our motto is in this town, to be of utmost importance. I think that (FCSS) is definitely looking at ways that we can still have that quality of life but maintain it within a responsible budget.
The policy was passed on July 18 and is expected to come into effect Jan. 1, 2019.