Home and Community Care Support Services - HCCSS

Home and Community Care Support Services - HCCSS

The 14 Home and Community Care Support Services Regions (HCCSS) in Ontario are crown agencies with the responsibility of planning, integrating, funding and delivering health care services in the province. Each HCCSS works with health service providers (e.g. hospitals, community health centres, long-term care, support services, mental health and addiction services) within their defined area. (Note: Prior to being called HCCSS, these agencies were called LHINs - the name change happened in April 2021 however, the services offered are exactly the same currently).

Home and Community Care

The HCCSS is responsible for delivering Home and Community Care services in their respective regions. HCCSS provide assessment, care coordination, information and referral to a full range of services for children, palliative patients, individuals with complex care needs, those who are transitioning from hospital to home and patients who require in-home services to help them remain in their home.

 HCCSS Care Coordinators create individual care plans to help patients:

• Maintain independence in their own home

• Avoid hospital admission

• Explore and choose from a wide range of health and social services

• Find the right housing or long-term care home options when living independently is no longer possible

Health care services provided by the HCCSS may include: nursing, personal support, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and access to adult day programs, assisted living, falls prevention and group exercise classes. Anyone can make a referral/request for service by calling their local HCCSS. If you are an inpatient in a hospital, HCCSS staff will transition you safely home or to services within the community. As a first step, individuals are assessed by a Care Coordinator who works with patients, caregivers and your health care team to develop care plans to support your unique and changing needs. The HCCSS uses a globally recognized, research-based assessment tool to help deliver the best possible care plan. If living independently is no longer the best option, Care Coordinators work with eligible patients and their families to find the long-term care home that best fits each person’s needs. Application for admission into a provincially-regulated long-term care home can only be made through the HCCSS, who assess eligibility, have comprehensive listings of available homes for long and short stays, and will help with the application forms.

Whether it’s a HCCSS home and community care service, or a service that is available in the community, HCCSS staff work with patients to find the care and services they need. HCCSS home and community care services are provided at no cost to the patient. Some community services are available, at a fee.

Additionally, certain medical supplies may, in some cases, be partially or fully covered by the program. Telephone numbers for all HCCSS in Ontario and the areas each covers are included in the chart below.

To find out further information about your local HCCSS, call 310-2222 (area code not required) or visit www.lhins.on.ca[1].

 

HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE SUPPORT SERVICES Contact Information

HCCSS Head Office

Phone Number

Areas/Cities Covered

Erie St. Clair 

1 (888) 447-4468 

Chatham-Kent, County of Lambton, Windsor & Essex County

South West 

1 (800) 811-5146

London, Hanover, Owen Sound, St. Thomas, Seaforth, Stratford & Woodstock

Waterloo Wellington 

1 (888) 883-3313        

Waterloo Region, Guelph and Wellington County & the southern part of Grey County

Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant 

1 (800) 810-0000     

Grimsby, Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand-Norfolk, Brant & Burlington

Central West 

1 (866) 465-9662 

Dufferin County, Caledon, Brampton, Malton, Rexdale & Woodbridge

Mississauga Halton 

1 (866) 371-5446 or

   (877) 336-9090

Halton Hills, Milton, Oakville, North West Mississauga, South West Mississauga, East Mississauga and South Etobicoke

Toronto Central 

1 (866) 243-0061 

Toronto

Central 

1 (888) 470-2222

South Simcoe, York Region, North York and areas of Northern Toronto

Central East 

1 (800) 263-3877 

Scarborough, Durham, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough & Haliburton

South East 

1 (800) 869-8828 or

1 (800) 668-0901 

Bancroft, Belleville, Brighton, Brockville, Gananoque, Kingston, Napanee, Perth, Picton, Smiths Falls, Trenton

Champlain 

1 (800) 538-0520 

Ottawa, Western & Eastern Champlain (including Carleton Place and Pembroke)

North Simcoe Muskoka 

1 (888) 721-2222 

Barrie, Midland, Penetanguishene, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Muskoka & Orillia

North East 

1 (800) 461-2919

Algoma, Cochrane, James and Hudson Bay Coasts, Manitoulin/Sudbury, Nipissing, Parry Sound & Timiskaming

North West 

   (807) 345-7339

Thunder Bay, Rainy River & Kenora Districts

 

 

[1] Information reviewed by Central HCCSS staff

 

59 other articles by Esther Goldstein, B.Sc., B.S.W., RSW

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