About

Across the province each year, over one million people receive home care and community support services – and the need is growing. The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) champions a strong, sustainable home and community support sector for all Ontarians.

​Our not-for-profit, community-based member organizations provide a wide variety of health and wellness services, which help a full range of clients, including seniors and people with disabilities, remain independent in their own homes and communities.

​These compassionate and cost-effective services improve quality of life, and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and premature institutionalization. They are the key to a sustainable health care system for Ontario.

What is home and community support?

Everyone deserves the opportunity to live independently in their own home for as long as possible. Home and community support includes more than 25 different health and wellness services which help Ontarians do just that, in safety and comfort.
Here are just a few examples:

Home Care Services

Nursing, personal support services, occupational therapy and other services all provide personalized, convenient care for those transitioning out of hospital or requiring a little extra help at home. 

Nutrition Programs

Programs like congregate dining and Meals on Wheels provide more than a nutritious meal – they offer vital social contact and safety checks for those living alone.

Transportation Services 

Services that enable seniors and people with disabilities to attend medical appointments. Many transportation services offer wheelchair accessible vehicles and door-to-door support. 

Respite and Adult Day Programs

These programs give exhausted family caregivers much-needed rest and support.

Why is home and community support important?

A strong home and community support sector is the foundation of a sustainable health system.
​Home care and community support services allow people to safely meet their unique needs, be more independent and resilient, and live the way they want to live, for longer. These cost-effective services reduce the need for more expensive hospital care, emergency room visits, or long-term care. They benefit individual clients, their caregivers, and the health care system as a whole.
  • How are home and community support services funded?

    Some services – such as home care nursing – are fully publicly funded by the health system. Other not-for-profit providers receive partial funding and make up the difference through charitable fundraising or by charging client fees. Some services are also provided by for-profit companies.

  • Who uses home and community support services?

    ​Across the province each year, over one million people receive home care and community support services – and the need is growing. Home and community services benefit a full range of clients, including seniors, people of all ages with disabilities  or chronic illness, and their family caregivers.

  • What value do home care and community support services bring to the health system?

    We provide high-quality, cost-effective care. Locating care in the community benefits clients, and results in significant savings to the health system.


    Not-for-profit home care and community support agencies  re-invest surplus funds into providing more and better care, ensuring vital funding stays in the community.


    Dedicated volunteers  donate over 3 million hours of service each year. If replaced with paid work, this would cost the health care system over $80 million annually.


    These organizations have deep roots  in their local communities, so their teams and board members understand the unique needs of their diverse populations and geographies.


    Family caregivers  are the invisible backbone of Ontario’s health care system; caregiver support ensures they don’t burn out, and can continue to care for their loved ones.


    Community support services encompass health promotion, preventative services and re-enablement services.  They don’t stop at meeting a client’s current needs – they defend against decline and more serious needs in the future.

Impact

Impact of home and community support services 2019-2020

Home Care & Community Support Services

Everyone deserves the opportunity to live independently in their own home for as long as possible. Home and community support includes more than 25 different health and wellness services which help Ontarians do just that, in safety and comfort. Because they encompass health promotion, preventative services and re-enablement services, they don't stop at meeting a client's current needs - they defend against decline and more serious needs in the future.

Across the province each year, over one million people receive home care and community support services - and the need is growing. These services benefit a full range of clients, including seniors, people of all ages with disabilities or chronic illness, and their family caregivers.

These compassionate and cost-effective services improve quality of life and benefit the health system as a whole by preventing unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and premature institutionalization.​

Home Care Services

  • Professional Services
  • Personal Support Services
  • Homemaking Services

Meals & Help Around the House

  • Meals on Wheels
  • Meal preparation
  • Home Help
  • Home Maintenance

Day Activities

  • Adult Day Services
  • Rides and Transportation
  • Friendly Visiting / Security Checks
  • Seniors Gentle Exercise Programs

Alzheimer Dementia Services

  • Individual Counselling
  • Alzheimer Day Programs
  • Respite (overnight)

Personal Support Services & Assisted Living

  • Personal Support and Attendant Care Services
  • Supportive Housing and Assisted Living for Adults with Physical Disabilities
  • Supportive Housing and Assisted Living for Seniors

Condition-Specific Services

  • Acquired Brain Injury Services
  • Vision Impaired Care Services
  • Deaf, Deafened and Hard of Hearing Care Services
  • Therapies (Addiction Treatment, Aphasia, Mental Health Services)

Caregiver Support

  • Individual Counselling
  • Alzheimer Day Programs
  • Respite (overnight)

Hospice Palliative Care

  • Personal Support and Attendant Care Services
  • Supportive Housing and Assisted Living for Adults with Physical Disabilities
  • Supportive Housing and Assisted Living for Seniors

About OCSA

The voice of the home and community care sector. 

Our Members

Full OCSA members are not-for-profit organizations which provide home care and community support services, contracted and funded by the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) in Ontario. They are organizations of all sizes, providing a wide variety of services across the province.


Associate Members of OCSA are not-for-profit organizations who have an interest in home and community support, while not providing such services themselves. Our associate members believe in, and support the overall objectives of OCSA.


Read more about the benefits of becoming an OCSA member


Our History

OCSA was formed in 1992, when three legacy home and community support organizations - Meals on Wheels Ontario, the Ontario Association of Visiting Homemaker Services, and the Ontario Home Support Association - realized that they would have a greater impact, and speak with a more powerful voice if they worked together. Today, our pool of members has grown to over 220 not-for-profit organizations of all sizes, providing a wide variety of health and wellness services.

Our Impact

A respected leader for over 20 years, OCSA advocates on behalf of our members and their clients, to government and other stakeholders. OCSA also creates partnerships, facilitates knowledge sharing, and offers training, resources and benefits that enable our members to continue to provide vital services to seniors and people with disabilities. Read more below about our mission, vision and strategic directions.

OCSA Mission & Vision

Our mission

OCSA's mission is to advance innovative solutions in health and social care. 

Our vision

OCSA's vision is to support healthy communities enabled by a quality, integrated and sustainable health and social care system.  

Our 3 Guiding Themes and 4 Priorities

Our strategic plan includes 3 guiding themes and 4 priorities which will help us evolve home and community care across Ontario.

Our 3 guiding themes are:

Collective Impact

Seamless Connections in
Home and Community Care

Advancing Excellence


Our 4 priorities are:

System Impact Focus 

to advance an integrated system of quality home and community care services that enable people to live well at home and in the community.

Advocacy Focus

to be the leading voice on home and community care in Ontario and a trusted partner in shaping the future of Ontario’s health and social care system.

Supporting Member Capacity

to help equip our members to deliver improved and more integrated client-centred care.

Internal Focus

to continue to build a dynamic and nimble association that drives improvement in health and social care.

Board of Directors

OCSA follows a policy governance approach to management. The Board of Directors consists of community leaders from across the province who guide the policies and direction of the Association on behalf of its members. The staff, led by Deborah Simon, CEO, operationalize the Board's vision.
SEE FULL STAFF DIRECTORY
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