HQCA Releases Survey Results on Clients' Experiences With Home Care Services in Alberta

CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - September 08, 2016) - Today, the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) released the results of its first survey of clients using home care services. The survey results are publicly available in the report: Alberta Home Care Client Experience Survey Provincial Results -- September 2016.

The purpose of the survey was to capture the experiences and obtain feedback from seniors aged 65 and older receiving long term supportive and maintenance home care. This population represents the largest group of home care clients.

"Reporting the voice of home care clients brings the HQCA's reporting full circle within the spectrum of continuing care," says Andrew Neuner, Chief Executive Officer. "By surveying long-term care families in 2015, supportive living residents and their families in 2014, and now home care clients, the HQCA is ensuring resident, family, and client experiences in this important sector of healthcare services are heard. Our goal is that this information is used to start and support conversations between healthcare providers, clients, family members, the public and other stakeholders about the quality and safety of care and services to drive improvements."

How clients perceived they were treated by staff and the interpersonal relationships between clients and staff members was the biggest influencer of overall client experience.

Provincially, clients rated their overall experience with home care services as 8.1 out of 10. The survey showed differences in results between clients who lived in metropolitan, urban, or rural areas. Metropolitan areas (Calgary, Edmonton and surrounding areas) had a lower overall care rating at 7.9, as compared to urban areas rated as 8.2, and rural areas at 8.4 out of 10.

Clients rated professional services and personal care services separately. For professional services, which are typically provided by nurses or therapists and includes performing health status assessments, treatments, and procedures, 25.5 per cent of home care clients in Alberta rated the services received as Excellent and 36.4 per cent rated the services as Very Good.

For personal care services, which are typically provided by healthcare aides and includes things like personal hygiene, bathing, and dressing, 24.7 per cent of home care clients in Alberta rated these services as Excellent and 37.9 per cent rated the services as Very Good.

For both personal and professional care home care services, rural clients rated the services more favorably than clients in metropolitan areas.

Overall, the five drivers that influenced Albertans' overall rating of home care, in order of importance:

1. Clients' perceptions of how they were treated by staff and the interpersonal relationships between clients and staff.
2. The degree to which clients felt their needs were met or not met when care was delivered.
3. The relationship clients had with their case manager and whether services in their care plan were provided.
4. Ways in which staff communicate with clients and with each other.
5. Availability, punctuality, and attendance of direct care staff, client perception of staff workload, and also client preferences and requirements for specific appointment times.

The HQCA conducted this survey in collaboration with Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health, and will work with them and home care providers to help with quality improvement initiatives. Client experience is one tool, among many, to better understand the performance of home care services in Alberta.

The Health Quality Council of Alberta is a provincial agency that pursues opportunities to improve patient safety and health service quality for Albertans.

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