Long-term and Continuing Care Framework

The "Long-Term and Continuing Care Framework" was initiated in 2023 by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), following a commitment in the 2021 mandate letter of the Minister of Indigenous Services. Implemented at the national level and led by ISC, this framework targets Indigenous populations, particularly those in need of long-term care, aiming to ensure Indigenous people have equitable access to high-quality, culturally safe long-term care services in or near their communities and to strengthen First Nations and Inuit control and autonomy over these services. Key measures include ISC’s funding of two existing LTCC-like programs: the Assisted Living (AL) program, which provides non-medical and social support services for older persons, adults with chronic illness, and those with disabilities on reserves or in Yukon, and the First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care (FNIHCC) program, which funds medical in-home and community care for First Nations people on reserves and Inuit people north of the 60th parallel. ISC also initiated community engagements across First Nations and Inuit communities, collecting insights from stakeholders of the AL and FNIHCC programs. In May 2023, the Ontario Native Welfare Administrators’ Association (ONWAA) released the final First Nation’s engagement report, “National Community Engagement in First Nation Long-Term and Continuing Care (LTCC)”.