Home and community care funding in the Province will receive a $200 million injection in 2017-18.

The Provincial Budget included this increase, bringing total funding for services to over $2 billion annually.

In a news release following the Provincial Budget, the Ministry of Health indicates that the funding increase will give hundreds more Albertans access to home and community care.  Home care services are used by seniors, those with disabilites, nursing care, respite relief and palliative care.

In Cochrane, Community Resource workers at FCSS often make referrals for home care services.

Annemarie Tocher, Cochrane Resource Center Coordinator, says " we are one of the fastest growing communities in Alberta and have been for several years, so overall demand for services across the board has been more than what the services can accomodate and that is certrainly true for home care. Additional funding to the Home Care program will be well utilized."  

Tocher adds with rapid growth, Cochrane is a retirement desitination for older Albertans "so the need for supports for seniors is growing here,  this is just one additional resource to us that we will benefit from ".

Home-care clients in Alberta do not pay any fees to utilize these services.  In Fiscal 2015/16, more than 116,000 Albertans received home-care services, a 20 percent increase over the past six years.