title: The Overseas Service Veteran (OSV) At Home Pilot: how choice of care may affect use of nursing home beds and waiting lists.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Canada, P.O. Box 7700, Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 8M9. dave.pedlar@vac-acc.gc.ca
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pedlar
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002755:Choice Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014728:Veterans; D014850:Waiting Lists