A Brief History
Care Watch began during a time when an NDP Government in Ontario (1990-1995) developed a plan designed to help people move from service to service within the community, to reduce duplication, and increase efficiency. The idea was to create multi-service agencies (MSAs) that incorporated all community services under one jurisdiction. Community consultation groups, called “planning consortiums” were held to refine and facilitate implementation of this Plan. It was required that these groups be composed of an equal number of service providers and service “consumers” who were almost exclusively older people. The consortia provided their members, particularly the “consumers”, with an excellent education on home care as it then existed.
The MSA concept crumbled partly for lack of acceptance by the service providers and largely because an election resulted in a change of Government. Some of the “consumers” however, thought it important to keep alive and utilize the new repository of information and knowledge that arose from the consultations. Thus, “Metro Consumers for Community Based Long Term Care” came into being. This event almost coincided with the Conservative Government’s (1995-2002) development of a new plan for home care accessed through Community Care Access Centres (CCACs). This transition from the Home Care Program for Metropolitan Toronto to the CCACs became the first issue for “Metro Consumers”. Accessible, sustainable, high quality home care remains central to our work.
In June 1998, as a result of a strategic planning session, “Metro Consumers for Long Term Care” was changed to Care Watch Toronto. Subsequently, because of the Provincial nature of most issues and other changes “Toronto” was informally dropped from the name.
2000 was a seminal year: a coordinator and regular desk space was acquired. Care Watch was incorporated. The first official AGM was held in November of that year. While in subsequent years, the landscape, culture, environment and even vocabulary concerning home and community care has changed a number of times Care Watch has stuck close to its original commitment to the “Consumers” of Long Term Home Care. Our work has broadened to be increasingly inclusive of other community programs which help older people to stay well and active.
Born out of an evolving process when the ‘consumers’ voice was equal to that of the ‘providers’ of care, Care Watch continues its commitment to the overall wellbeing of all older people. We recognize the value of choice in living arrangements, the importance of greater involvement in decisions that affect older peoples’ lives, individually and collectively and the necessity for society to provide support to those who need it.
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