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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1979-06-13, Page 3Homemakers serve Huron County THE BRUSSELS POST, JUNE 13, 1979 — 3 BY DEBBIE RANNEY The Town and Country Homemakers are a many faceted organization but it's one agency that provides a much-needed service to residents of Huron County. It was in 1971 when the Ministry of Health started the Home Care Program, hospital care at home funded by 0.H.I.P., that the need for homemakers was recog- nized. The Ministry of Health approached the local Board of Health who asked that the Huron County Health Unit be responsible for running the Home Care Program in Huron County. Betty Cardno became the administrator and at that time nursing care and homemaking services were felt to be the two main components needed. Mrs. Cardno purchased her nursing services from the V.O.N. Huron Perth branch. As there was no agency to purchase the homemaking services from a corps of homemakers was trained at Conestoga College and funded by Canada Manpower. But then, anyone who needed a home- maker such as the Home Care program, Family and Children's Services, Commun- ity and Social Services, the Cancer Society and individuals had try and contact the homemaker individually and make arrange ments. In 1974 Jean Young, the administrator of the Town and Country Homemakers agency at 316 Josephine St. in Wingham, took homemakers training at Conestoga and found there was need for a central co-ordinating office for the homemakers. Mrs. Young and Mrs. Cardno got together and at their own expense organ- ized an agency. An ad hoc committee supervised by the two women applied for and received a Canada Works grant for administration for the first year. This allowed time to establish a solid agency which now funds itself by selling services on a fee for service basis and through support from service clubs, private don- ations and a County grant. • • Homemaking services are now available to any resident of Huron County and a homemaker can provide skills in both homemaking and personal care. This personal care can include bathing, mouth care, help with eating, aid in and out of bed, or up and down stairs if needed, and simple bedside care under the direc- tion of a nurse and/or doctor, or therapy under the direction of a physio, occu- pational or speech therapist. Homemakers also help patients to do light housework and whatever personal care the patients can't do themselves. ABILITY TO PAY People who use the services of the homemakers are assessed for their ability to pay and if they qualify for social service assistance sometimes a share, up to all of the cost, is paid for that way. The Town and Country Homemakers can subsidize as well. Social Services and Family and Child- ren's Services may help pay the fees where: a child needs care during the absence of a mother or other people who care for him, or for the elderly, handi- capped, ill or convalescent who require services on a part-time basis in order that they May remain in their own homes. Any resident of Huron County can buy the service of a homemaker on a private bpsis which will for example, keep the elderly, handicapped and chronically ill out of nursing homes and hospitals or families can hire homemakers to look after children or other dependents when absent during holidays, illness or convalescence. And the Cancer Society may buy the service for people who wish to be cared for in their own homes. The Home Care program also buys homemaker services. This program re- places hospital cares so that the patient can go home from the hospital sooner or so they can choose to remain at home for care in the first place. OHIP funds this program but there has to be a need for professional services before a patient qualifies or is referred to Home Care. Generally the homemakers look after patients with the assistance of the VON, occupational therapists, physio-therapists and doctors. Town and Country Homemakers will also provide home help services such as handymen who will help with home maintenance, dig flower beds, cut lawns, rake leaves, put on storm windows, etc., housecleaners who are hired on an hourly basis to do heavy or light housework, dusting, vacuuming, or involved house- cleaning, hairdressers who will travel to the homebound doing hair, cutting, wash- ing, perms; a barber who will cut and style hair upon request; a sitter for the elderly during the absence of the usual attending person; a sitter in a crisis - when the mother is suddenly absent or ill, when parents are on vacation, friendly visiting - a regular social visit in person or by telephone, transportation or a friendly assist with grocery shopping or a trip to the doctor. Community and social services can now purchase handymen, housecleaners and transportation. NOT A TAXI Mrs. Young points out that the transpor- tation is not a taxi service, that they just like to assist people who need extra special physical assistance because of a handicap when family members are unable to provide this service. There certainly seems to be a need for the Town and Country Homemakers Agency which serves all of Huron County. In 1978, $122,000 worth of services were sold and in the first three months of this year $73,000 worth of services were sold. 75 CARED FOR At the time of the interview, 75 people were being taken care of and Mrs. Young says the number of people using the service usually stays between 65 and 75. And the agency seems to offer their services at a considerably lower cost than what an individual might pay if they had to go to a hospital or nursing home. Mrs. Young said that last year a survey was done for a year, putting clients into categories of nursing home, hospital and children's aid care and it found there had been a saving of a million dollars by keeping them at home. The Town and Country Homemakers are incorporated and registered as a charitable organization under the income tax act. The agency raises funds to subsidize private clients when they need it. Some of the fund raising in the past has included rummage sales at Wingham and Clinton. Mrs. Young says they're interviewing people all the time and they're looking for people who want part-time jobs. The Town and Country Homemakers Agency in Wingham has provided a much needed service to the residents of Huron County. • • If the address label on the front of your paper says Feb. 2-1-0-9 07. Mar. 2-1-0-9 ' Apr. 2-1-0-9 Your subscription. is. DUE :NOW A HELPING HAND — Mrs. Amber Carrick gets a helping hand brushing her hair from one of the Huron County Town and Country Homemakers, Mrs. Tom Baker. "Don't know what I'd do without her" lady says Amuer Carrick of Brussels is one person who has made use of the many services offered by the Town and Country Homemakers Agen- cy in Wingham. , Mrs. Carrick was in the hospital with spinal trouble. She had surgery on her back and couldn't walk. But Betty McDonald, a placement of- ficer at the hospital arranged for Mrs. Carrick to have a homemaker so she could go home from the hospital earl- ier. Mrs. Carrick has had the homemaking service for two years now. In the first few months what she received was almost entirely nursing care since she was barely She said without the home- care she would have had to walking and had to use a walker. The first homemaker helped her to do walking exercises and gave general nursing care. Now her pres- ent homemaker Edith Baker has been doing just general things like housecleaning or if Mrs. Carrick has a mig- raine, Mrs. Baker will do a shampoo for her. There's no nursing left to the job now. "I don't know what I'd have done without her, be- cause I haven't got the balance to do a lot of things for myself," Mrs. Carrick said. • stay longer in the hospital because, "I couldn't do any- thing myself. I wasn't even walking and it was the exer- cise that was so important." Mrs. Carrick appreciated being able to go home from the hospital early. "I think anyone would. There's a lot of people who don't know about homecare," she said. She also cited another good reason for having the service. "If the people took advantage of it, it might be one way of easing the hos- pital bed situation," she said. A Post Classified will pay you dividends. Have you tried one? 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