Community Care Services

Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL)

Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL) is an alternative for eligible home support clients. CSIL was developed to give British Columbians with daily personal care needs more flexibility in managing their home support services.

CSIL is a "self-managed model of care". Clients receive funds directly for the purchase of home support services. They assume full responsibility for the management, co-ordination and financial accountability of their services, including recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling and supervising home support workers.

Who is Eligible for CSIL?

Eligible clients:

• require daily personal assistance;
• have the ability to direct all aspects of their care or have a client support group to do so; and
• have demonstrated the ability to manage care services.

Getting Help Managing CSIL Services

Seniors and people with disabilities who are unable, or not always able, to direct their own care can obtain CSIL funding through the formation of a client support group.

What is a Client Support Group?

A client support group consists of five people who have registered as a non-profit society for the purpose of managing support services on behalf of a CSIL client. Family members, friends, neighbors, an advocate, family physician or others may be members of the client support group.

The client support group takes on all the responsibilities of an employer. CSIL funds go directly to the group to purchase home support services on behalf of their client.

Payment to Family Members

CSIL clients have greater flexibility in their care options and may pay family members, except immediate family members (i.e. parent, child, or spouse), as care givers in accordance with Policy 8.H, Payment to Family Members. Health authorities may grant an exception for an immediate family member to be paid to provide care for a client if the criteria set out in Policy 8.H are met. Information is available through the local health authority.

See Policy 8.H, Payment to Family Members (PDF 27Kb) for more detail.

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