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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-03-31, Page 2flows • This picture of the first Luclmow Town Hall shows the doors to the archon located on the east side of the building facing the bowling alley. The United Church is pktnred in the • background. A structural defect in the "Old Town Hall" led to it beinng abandoned Within 25 . years when. It was replaced by the present Town Hall. Construction of the new building was aided materially by a donation of $7,500 from .mllionudne Andrew Carnegie on the' stipulation . that. a .Carnegie Library be embodied in the banding and that it receive an annual municipal grant. Lecimow Sentinel, Wednesday, Marco 31, I9$2 --Pale 2 Hospital board briefs.., *from page 1 Semi -private coverage will now be charg- ed 524 a day up from $16 and private coverage will be charged $44 a day up from $32.. The television and telephone will be provided free of charge. Thehospital does not know what the new rates will be on Blue Criss coverage said Dr. Williams, and it is possible that there will be a difference between the hospital's charge and the amount covered by Blue Cross, If so; the patient is responsible for the balance. Dr. J. C, McKim quipped "If doctors do this, it's called opting out Dr. Williams replied, "we are opting -out of Blue Cross but hot out of any government paid program." Presently the standard ward . rate for a self -pay patient is $134 ner dav, while the actual cost is $15+4 per day. The rate therefore has been increased to 5180 per day, This Char$e refers to patients who do not have OHIP coverage and Workmen's Compensation days. Fleas win consolation trophy... *from page. 1 10 - I. Michael Vandervelde led the way with a hat trick and Dale Priestap picked up two goals. The retraining goals were scored by Adrian Rau, Darren Henry,. Justin Murray,. Steven ' Stothers, Derek Turner, • and Peter Reavie got an assist. In their final. game Lucknow defeated v Kincardine •Riggin's Texaco to bring home the consolation championship. The score 4 , 1 resulted on goals by Justin Murray, Chris Stevenson, Dale Priestap and Adrian Rau. The boys lost only two games over their regular season play, putting them in' top place in their house league standings: They completed the season winning the cham- pionships at the Lucknow and Tiverton tournaments and the .consolation at the Teeswater Tournament. Hospital supports Homemaker Services •pilot � project The Wingliath and.District Hospital board of governors will lend their support to a request by the Town and Country Home- makers in Huron County to have a Home- maker Services Program installed as a pilot project in Huron. The Ministry of Community and Social'. Services has developed a new Homemaker Services Program which will be funded by the Community and Social Services Ministry and administered by the Ministry of Health through the existing Home Care offices. The plan will provide homemakers to the frail elderly and adult handicapped to enable them to stay in their own homes without the need for medical professional services. The` fees will be paid by the Health Ministry. Presently the. Town and Country Home- makers, a private incorporated non-profit agency, trains homemakers and offers their services to the public in Huron County. Their services are purchased privately and by.the Acute Home .Care program of the Ministry of Health in Huron County, the Ministry of Community and Social Services in Huron and the Huron • Branch of the ' Canadian Cancer Society. The provincial government is presently selecting five or six areasto start their plan and. because Town and Country Homemak- ers is well aware of the need for this plan in Huron County, they contacted Frank Dreg, Minister .of Community and Social Services and the former Minister of Health, Dennis. Timbrell in l4ovember, • to. request the program be installed, as a pilot project in Huron . County. They have received no response and are currently seeking support for their proposal from other community groups. Individual hand written letters supporting the need for such a program in Huron and directed to the Minister of Community and Social Services; rank Drea and the Minister of Health, Larry Grossman •would, also be helpful. . The Town and Country Homemakers are trying to arrange a meeting with. Grossman to plead their case and demonstrate their capacity to handle the new program.: The Wingham and District Hospital board of governors passed a motion at their March 24 meeting, lending their support to the Town and Country Homemakers' submis- sion by letter, including any supporting data the hospital can make available, According to Bev Brown, chairman of the Town • and Country. Homemakers' board of directors, who spoke to the March meeting. of the hospital board,. many seniors in the county would be able to remain in their own homes if they have hcniemaking services. They do not require nursing home care, or service from the Town and Country Home- chronic home care such - as visits from a •. physiotherapist, Victorian Order .Nurse or doctor, but they do need assistance with the. laundry, scrubbing floors, taking . down storm windows or -transportation to doctors' appointments., . Brown said one-half of the Town and Country Homemaker patient load would qualify for the Ministry's Homemaker Services Program which would also increase. the number of peciple who would participate.. Because the client would be eligible to receive : a 'subsidy front: the' Ministry of Community and Social Services to cover fees under the ministry program, many who cannot . pay for the Town and Country Homemaker service or will not pay for the service' would be eligible for the ministry program. Brown told the boardthere will be a needs assessment and strict criteria interpreting "frail elderly" and adult handicapped' will be be established. The program will not be used by someone to keep her floors clean while she goes out to play bridge, Brown commented. • The Homemakers will only remain in the home for the time, necessary. Brown ,said presently the Acute Home Care program in Huron County"purchases only 8;0 hours of makersfor each client. According to ministry regulations, this is all the ministry will subsidize. Should the client still require homemakers' services, he or she must purchase the service from their own funds, In Toronto however, where the Home- makers Service program is already in place. the client is permitted subsidy for as long as they require it, since the program is not. adhering to the 80 -hour limit, Dr. J. C. McKim pointed out that there are people returning 'home from hospital who require homemaker assistance but do not require Acute Home Care, which is the only -program in .place in Huron. at this time. The hospital's' executive. director Norman Hayes, raised the. question whether the program would be "an open ended thing which will' provide cradle to grave care". Brown rdplied that. the terms "frail elderly and adult handicapped" would be clearly defined and the prog am' would be admin- istered carefully according to the established criteria.. Hayes commented_heis in favour of the '. program because he doesn't like, to see people in .the. hospital. Brown stated that•Huron County has a real .need for such a program because 13 per cent of the county's population is senior citizens. • Long range planning committee tabies repori...• *from page 1 1 The report's second recommendation ad- vises that the board should make every. effort to acquire any property ,offered for sale in the block where the hospital is now located, to hold the land for future expansion: Hayes commented: if nothing else, the hospital - could provide sufficient parking to eliminate blocking surroundingstreets with parked cars. The report recommends the ' medical consultant program be expanded as the need arisesbecause it is more cost effective, to have onespecialist travelling rather than all the patients who are referred. The expansion of this consultant program wouldalso increase the types ,of' services available at the hospital, A physical •medi- cine specialist for example could enhance the physiotherapy and occupational therapy by monitoring the therapists. A rheumatol- ogist could hold clinics and. a geriatrician could offer programs for the elderly. Mental Health Program Another recommendation suggests the hospital continue to support the services of the Mental Health Resource Centre which is meeting a significant need in the community, judging by the growth in its case load. If more space is available to the Centre, it could mount programs such as the alcoholic rehabilitation program it wishes 'to offer now but cannot for lack of space. The report states the hospital should offer. a, hearing testing program which is a program already in the works but which is stalled until the registered nurse who will implement the program, graduates from • training. The trained nurse will be hired by the Wingham Foundry and the hospital will purchase the hearing testing service from the Foundry. ' The report advises the hospitaltd participate in° the tele -health program which is to be funded by the Ministry of Health and will be instituted by the ministry in the future, using the University . Hospital . in London as the resource centre. Expand .Rehabilitation Programs 'The report also recommends the hospital seek to expand the role of the rehabilitation centre which is proving to be a necessary and an important part of the hospital service in• the community. Programs to enhance living potentials. such as a kinesiologist offering the back care program, which is presently being offered at the hospital is one example. A hypertensive clinic is another.. The hospital board should support the creation of geriatric programs including day programs and.programs for chronic patients. There is a real need for such programs considering the size of the senior citizen population in the community served by the hospital. The ninth recommendation indicates the hospital • should work with other health agencies in the county and surrounding areas to provide public health care programs such as the breastfeeding clinics already in place at the Wingham hospital. The hospital should assist in the creation of effective living programs , such 'is retirement preparation and effective parent- ing. The hospital should explore ways to . enhance patient•transportation to services. • For the hospital to provide transportation is too costly and it removes' the public volunteer element which is an important part of the community's role in supporting the hospital. ' The report suggests volunteer transportation is the best way. Another recommendation states the hos- pital should cooperate with nursing homes to establish criteria for admission' to nursing home beds and hospital chronic care . beds. Recommendation 13 suggests the hospital. board of governors create .a community service liason committee because there are other groups providinvhealth :care in the community. It is important to co-ordinate health care to avoid duplication of service and to improve the delivery of health' care. Phut Fund Raising . ' The final recommendation in the report suggests the hospital board .of governors begin. a comprehensive planning foto a fund raising ,drive to raise the money to fund the proposed expansion and new addition. The planning would include a liason with the Hospital Foundation in clarifying the roles of the .hospital board and the Founda. tion in raising funds. The planning"will also' include an invitation to the provincial government to participate, keeping in mind the government is expecting the community to take a greater role in funding capital building.' costs, " To this objective executive director Norman Hayes . tabled his proposal for funding the hospital expansion of service by building an addition. It calls for 26 per cent participation by the Ministry of. Health in a $2 million project. This fits the ministry guideline which stipulates the ministry will only fund small projects in the 5500.000 range. Board members . will study the proposal which will be discussed at the April meeting. • By-law Change A bylaw change to .be presented at the annual meeting of the hospital' in June to create a community services liason°"commit• tee was adopted in principle. following the adoption of the report. The long range planning committee commented in the rport's opening remarks it is 'important for the hospital, to have a philosophy. The ^committee concluded the Wingham and District Hospital must con- tinue to be a general hospital, providing a wide range of services as is applicable to its size. . • " The hospital must be willing to meet 'standards and should submit to accreditation by outside bodies regularly,to remain a first class institution. The hospital will expand its services to the community as resources permit and it will do' the utmost to meet the expectations of the. people it serves. The hospital will also work with providers of health care services oaccomplish • what is necessary for good health care.