The Ontario government is investing $3,250,000 to expand the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program in Leeds-Grenville. This initiative will help more seniors on long-term care waitlists stay safe while living in the comfort of their own homes for longer.
“Our long-term care focused Community Paramedicine program leverages the skills of community paramedic providers to help end hallway health care and provide additional care for seniors”, said Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. “This program is all about keeping seniors safe at home, while delaying the need for long-term care by providing enhanced at-home supports”.
“The Community Paramedicine program provides our seniors, their families and caregivers peace of mind while waiting for a long-term care space,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Expanding the program across the province means that more of our loved ones can access services from their own homes, potentially even delaying the need for long-term care, while still providing the quality care and service they need and deserve.”
“This funding is incredibly important to promote the Community Paramedicine program”, added Warden Roger Haley. “One of the great aspects of this service is that specially trained paramedics can support seniors staying in their homes longer”.
Jeffrey Carss, Chief of the Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service said, “The program is structured to keep individuals who are on the long-term care wait list, or who are soon to be eligible for long-term care, stabilized in their illness trajectory and in their own home for as long as possible, through preventative and responsive care, such as home visits and remote patient monitoring. Our aim is to work with our health system partners to coordinate existing health services, through established networks for providing home and community care, emergency care, primary care, public health and other community and social services.
The program will be delivered through local communities, providing:
- Access to health services 24-7, through in-home and remote methods, such as online or virtual supports;
- Non-emergency home visits and in-home testing procedures;
- Ongoing monitoring of changing or escalating conditions to prevent or reduce emergency incidents;
- Additional education about healthy living and managing chronic diseases; and
- Connections for participants and their families to home care and community supports.
