The Overseas Service Veteran At Home Pilot: How Choice of Care May Affect Use of Nursing Home Beds and Waiting Lists

In 1999 Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) implemented the Overseas Service Veterans (OSV) At Home Pilot Project in response to the problem that a growing number of clients were on waiting lists for beds in long-term care facilities. The At Home pilot offered certain clients on waiting lists, who met nursing-level care and military-service requirements, access to home care and treatment services for which they had previously been ineligible. A review of the pilot showed that a large majority of clients preferred to remain at home, with support, rather than accept a long-term care placement, even when a bed became available. The pilot has helped reduce waiting times for nursing home beds and may have important implications for reducing costs and the demand for long-term care beds.