The Honourable Chester Gillan, Minister of Health today announced that Government has made further enhancements to the Long-Term Nursing Care Subsidization Program. Effective May 1, 2007, the limit or “cap” on the amount of money that a subsidized resident can accumulate in his or her Comfort Allowance Trust Account has been removed.
A Comfort Allowance is provided to subsidized long-term nursing care residents to purchase items for their personal use, comfort and recreation. This allowance may also be used to purchase special needs items such as glasses, hearing aids, dentures or wheelchairs.
By removing the cap, subsidized long-term care residents will have the ability to accumulate monies in their Comfort Allowance Trust Account above the previously set amount of $300.
The maximum monthly Comfort Allowance provided to subsidized residents is $103. Regulations in the Long-Term Care Subsidization Act previously limited the amount of money a resident could hold in his or her account to $300. Removal of the cap ensures that subsidized residents will have access to the full monthly entitlement.
Minister Gillan said, “If a resident’s account had a balance of $250, the Comfort Allowance granted for that month would be $50 and not the total amount of $103. By not having the ability to accumulate the maximum Comfort Allowance on a monthly basis, subsidized residents are unable to plan for costly special needs items.”
“Government recognized that some special needs items are expensive and could possibly exceed the $300 cap,” added Minister Gillan. “By removing the cap, residents will now have the opportunity to accumulate funds that could be used to purchase those special needs items.”
The Department of Health has implemented significant changes to the way long- term care services are funded and how residents pay for long-term care in manors and private nursing homes. These program changes are designed to promote independence and choice for people who require long-term care.
Minister Gillan noted, “It is important to note that the purpose of the Comfort Allowance has not changed. Nor has the monthly amount of the allowance. What has changed, is that there will no longer be a cap on the Comfort Allowance Trust Account and subsidized residents will now be better able to cover their costs on an ongoing basis.”