Current Issues and Future Trends in Health Care in Canada,

Mental Health and Addiction

• Mental illness: refers to many different disorders that influence our thinking process and behaviour.
• Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in Canada.
• Mental health falls into provincial/territorial jurisdiction.
  • Working together with agencies such as:
  • Health Canada
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada
  • The Mental Health Commission of Canada
  • The Canadian Mental Health Association and its jurisdictional counterparts
  • To plan strategies and interventions aimed at caring for mentally ill people.
• Provinces and territories share responsibilities with the Federal Government for individuals who require mental health services when they become involved with the criminal justice system.
• In general, mental health care is offered in tertiary care psychiatric hosts psychiatric hospitals and clinics, community mental health centers and realize, some correctional facilities, adolescent assessment and
• Health Canada is a big part of trying to help Canadians thrive daily.
  • They aid in EI, social security, child benefits, and retirement plans.
  • They are also about taking responsibility for one’s health, such as healthy living, diabetes prevention, and health promotion.
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: a product of ten years in the making with the efforts of hundreds of professionals in all aspects of mental health
• Provinces and territories share responsibilities with the Federal Government for individuals who require mental health services when they become involved with the criminal justice system.
• Services for the Armed Forces: include pre-deployment preparedness, treatment for addiction, crisis intervention, and short-term counselling.
• Community-Based Services: many jurisdictions offer a centralized point of contact to help people navigate the mental health care system
  • Also provides legal rights and directions when required
• Registered Psychiatric Nurses: practice in western Canada autonomously and as a part of primary health care teams
  • They provide care and support for families, groups, and individuals.
• Family Physicians: will refer individuals for specialized mental health services when they feel the patient needs more support and direction that they can provide
  • Though they can perform counselling, most prefer not to because of the time-consuming nature.
• Mental health Commission of Canada
  • The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) was formed in 2006
  • In 2012 the MHCC completed the first draft of a national mental health strategy: the first-ever pan-Canadian strategy to improve both mental health services and access to these services across the country to improve.
  • The Strategy made six recommendations:

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1. The need for open communication to reduce the stigma of mental illness

2. Promoting mental health for all Canadians in multiple places (home, schools, community, and the workplace)

3. Focusing on suicide prevention

4. Providing the right mix of mental health services for those in need

5. Evaluating and improving risk factors associated with mental illness

   1. E.g. determinants of health such as poverty, unemployment and underemployment, and social isolation) for vulnerable populations

6. Providing the proper support and services to meet the unique needs of Indigenous people in Canada.

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• The Stigma of Mental Illness
  • Open Minds targets four main groups:
  • Healthcare providers: create positive and accepting attitudes
  • Youth: Identify those at risk to create prevention
  • Workforce: encourage understanding and tolerance at work
  • Media: positively influence public views and attitudes
• Reducing Homelessness
  • Housing First: a framework widely used for developing housing programs for the mentally ill
  • Offers permanent housing for those with no strings attached
  • No preconditions or eligibility criteria
  • Reaching Home: increased funding will be earmarked to reduce homelessness among the indigenous population.
  • These goals are to reduce homelessness by 50% in 2028
• Mental Illness and the Justice System
  • Forensic Hospitals: secure facilities that have specialized knowledge, and treatment plans, care to rehabilitate individuals so they can either start a trial or safely come back into society
  • Community-Base Forensic Mental Health Programs: provide a range of services with the goal of rehab and integration with the community

Caring For An Aging Population

• Currently in Canada, 3/4 of our population is the 50+ who require x3 the amount of time when visiting there family doctor
• Seniors need to be monitored regularly for multiple conditions most likely for the rest of their lives
• Timely Access to Specialists: elective surgery wait times average 6 months with certain urgent surgeries being 48 hours thus upping the mortality/morbidity
• With the rise of an aging population the nation struggles to keep up with the demand of treatment plans for things such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, cancer, etc.
  • All of which puts a greater strain on our healthcare system

Home and Continuing Care

• Homecare: a professional support service offered for those who are no longer able to live at home safely
• Currently in Canada 16% of the population is receive homecare in some degree
• Homecare offers specialized palliative support for those unwilling to go to the hospital
• Canada Health Care System is broken and homecare is no exception
  • Here is what they are try to do to change it
  • Increasing the number of (funded) visits home care recipients can receive from health professionals and support workers to eliminate shortfalls in care required
  • Developing a system to recruit and retain human health resources
  • Developing an effective strategy to make the best use of existing resources
  • Advocating for the recommended national "carers" strategy to support and fund resources for individuals providing care for family members
  • Action Network Advancing the use of technology to improve access to, and the coordination of services
  • Improving safety in the home for both care providers and patients by providing the necessary training to ensure everyone safety

Drug Coverage

• As seen in earlier chapters their is no universal drug plan just a bunch of smaller plans put together
• As we have hit a new era where cannabis is legal we have found a few grey areas
  • Sure as can you smoke in between shifts or will it be banned like alcohol
  • How much is too much?
  • Are edibles included into the 30g of legal possession

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