This indicator shows the percentage of new patients receiving publicly funded home care who had an unplanned emergency department visit within 30 days of leaving hospital, among those referred to home care from hospital or within 7 days of discharge.

Timely follow-up after hospital discharge can help prevent the return of home care patients to the emergency department.

A lower percentage is better.

The percentage of long-stay home care patients whose unpaid caregivers experienced distress in a 1-year period (a risk-adjusted percentage).

A caregiver is defined as a person who takes on an unpaid caring role for someone who needs help because of a physical or cognitive condition, an injury, or a chronic life-limiting illness. This caregiver can be a spouse, child/child-in-law, other relative or friend, or neighbour who lives or does not live with the patient.

Caregivers who are distressed are defined as primary caregivers who express feelings of distress, anger or depression and/or any caregiver who is unable to continue in their caring activities.

This indicator defines long-stay patients as those who have already been receiving home care for at least 60 days.

When a patient has more than one home care assessment within a given year, the most recent assessment will be included in the analysis.

This measure may indicate whether individuals receiving home care and their caregivers have access to the sufficient and appropriate level of services and supports. It may also help to identify where additional resources are needed to assist caregivers in order to help prevent burnout and to allow the people they are caring for to stay at home as long as possible. Examples include providing access to more hours of formal home care and different types of services (e.g., meals, housework, respite services) and help navigating the system.

A lower percentage is better.