Homes for Special Care

The Homes for Special Care Service (HSC) is a voluntary service in which an Owner/Operator of a home provides residential care to individuals with a serious mental illness. The Service is open to individuals who may no longer require hospitalization or to those who live independently in the community and may now require assistance. They must agree to the conditions of a supervised co-operative living environment.

Services provided by a Home for Special Care include:

• Meals, laundry, medication management and some level of 24-hour supervision on a short or long-term basis
• Funding for personal care items, such as toiletries, clothing, eyeglasses, dental care, medical transportation, social and recreational activities
• Support from staff of the HSC home

Administered by the North Bay Regional Health Centre, homes are funded and licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Each home is privately owned and operated.

As home dynamics and personal safety are important to ensure the safety of all tenants, it is important that referrals, Individual Tenant Plans and discharge plans are comprehensive.

Admission Criteria

To be considered for the Homes for Special Care Service, an individual must:

• Meet the admission criteria of Regulation 636 of the Homes for Special Care Act and the requirements of the NBRHC Regional Outreach; which include:
• Have a serious mental illness that is currently stable;
• Be 18 years of age or older;
• Require some level of 24-hour supervision and support and, at the discretion of the Owner / Operator, the level of support needed can be met by the home; and
• Agree to the conditions of co-operative living.