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     an image of a consumer sitting in her chair Attendant Services Overview
Attendant Services
DEFINITION OF ATTENDANT SERVICES

Attendant Services are consumer-directed physical assistance with routine activities of daily living which the person with a disability would do him/herself were it not for physical limitations. This assistance is provided by another person, an attendant. The consumer takes responsibility for the decisions and training involved in his/her own assistance.

Attendant Services do NOT include: professional services such as nursing care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy or physician services; respite care; supervision; “care” or taking responsibility for the person with a disability.
 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ATTENDANT SERVICES
 
Attendant services developed with the growth of the Independent Living Movement in the 1960s and are based on the Independent Living model of service rather than the medical/rehabilitation or charity models of service. The movement began in Berkeley with a group of students with disabilities at the University of California. The Independent Living Movement quickly spread throughout the United States and Canada.
 
Attendant services evolved out of the desire and the need of persons with disabilities to lead independent lives. They are a unique form of service which enables people with disabilities to live in the community. Before the advent of attendant services, most people with physical disabilities would have remained in chronic care hospitals, lived in institutions, or been cared for by family members long after the age when most non-disabled people would choose to live independently.
 
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
 
To be eligible for attendant services, applicants must:
  • Be insured under the health Insurance Act of Ontario (i.e. possess a valid Ontario Health Card)
  • Be at least 16 years of age or older
  • Have a permanent physical disability and require physical assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, transferring and toileting
  • Be able to direct their own services. This means communicating with the attendants about what you want done, when you want it done and how.
  • Be able to have any medical/professional needs met by the existing community health network on a visitation basis


DIFFERENT ATTENDANT SERVICE OPTIONS 
 
Supportive Housing Unit / Shared Living

  • Supportive Housing providers typically offer several accessible apartments integrated throughout a larger apartment building.
  • Most Supportive Housing  providers offer Attendant Services to their tenants on a pre-scheduled and on-call 24-hour basis.
  • Shared Living or group homes offers a communal home setting with attendat services. This option may be the preferred choice for consumers with limited capacity to self-direct or who have multiple service needs.

Attendant Outreach Services

  • Attendant Outreach Services are provided in the consumer’s home between the hours of 6 am and midnight on a pre-scheduled basis. Services may also be provided at the workplace, college or university.
  • There is currently a ceiling of 90 hours of service per month. 
  • Outreach cannot be provided on an on-call basis or as emergency services. Consumers are advised to have back-up support available. 

Transitional and Life Skills Programs

  • Transitional and Life Skills programs provide the opportunity for learning and practicing the skills and accessing  resources necessary  to live and participate in the community.
  • Transitional Programs offer many of the same services as Supportive Housing program, as well as provide a training component.
  • Training may include learning how to: manage and use Attendant Services, manage personal finances, make use of community resources.
  • Transitional programs are generally time-limited, with the usual length of stay being 6 to 18 months.

APPLICATION OF ATTENDANT SERVICES IN TORONTO
  • If applying to Attendant Service Options in the Toronto area, individuals can apply through the Project Information Centre (PIC), which is located at the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT).  PIC is the centralized point of access for individuals with physical disabilities applying for Attendant Services Projects and Programs in Toronto area. Please click Project Information Centre (PIC) for details.
  • To request a set of PIC Application Package, please contact Project Information Centre (PIC) at 416 599 2458 or email pic@cilt.ca or download the PIC Application Package from our website by clicking PIC Application page.
 
OTHER ATTENDANT SERVICE OPTIONS
  • Direct Funding (DF)

As an alternative to Outreach or Supportive Housing Units, Direct  Funding enables adults with physical disability to take full responsibility for managing a budget and hiring and supervising their own attendants. 

For more information, visit our Direct Funding page.

  • Attendant Service Projects and Programs Outside Toronto

Applicants applying for attendant services outside Toronto need to contact attendant service providers in their areas.  The Ontario Attendant Service Directory offers a searchable directory of attendant service options available in Ontario. 

For more information, please visit our Ontario Attendant Service Directory page.

  • Student Assistance

Student Attendant Service Fund (SASF) is a contingency fund for providing attendant services who have been assessed by an attendant service provider but are not yet receiving attendant services or when the student's attendant service provider does not currently have the resources to provide attendant services for their post secondary studies. The service provider will provide written confirmation and assessment result to CILT/PIC. CILT/PIC will then contract this service provider attendant services to the students if funding is available. Service providers are expected to absorb these students into their budget on a priority basis. 

Students in Ontario who need attendant services to participate in post high school education or training programs can apply through the Project Information Centre (PIC) for SASF.  For more information, please contact Project Information Centre (PIC) at 416 599 2458 or email pic@cilt.ca.