The Manitoba government is taking steps to improve home care services in the province by hiring and retaining hundreds of new workers.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwala announced Monday that the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has hired 256 new health care assistants for the period beginning in October 2023.
That means fewer vacancies, more visitors and fewer cancellations.
“For us as a home care program, this means we can provide a reliable service to our clients and their families,” said Luba Bereza, WRHA's director of intensive home care and interactive palliative care, “so they can count on us in their time of need.”
The state noted that thanks to recruiters, the medical assistant vacancy rate has decreased from 24% in January 2023 to 10.5% as of the end of May 2024.
It added that the cancellation rate in the Winnipeg region has fallen from 5.02 per cent in January 2023 to 1.38 per cent in April 2024, while monthly home care visits have increased from 384,000 to 445,000 since January 2023.
“It means families can count on us, clients can count on us and they can stay in their homes longer,” Bereza said.
“We're contributing to the health of the entire health care system.”
More information about home care services in Manitoba is available online.
