Clinton News-Record, 1981-12-02, Page 15•
Home visitors make life more encoura
- a
BY JOANNE BUCHANAN
Seventeen months ago Jacqueline
Pentland, daughter of Jim and Joanne
Pentland of Lucknow, was born with a
deformity of the spine.
Today she is a bright, active and happy
little girl who is learning to walk with
braces on her legs from the waist down.
She seems to be adjusting and developing
well despite her physical problems and
much of the credit for this adjustment and
development can go to a special home
visiting program funded by the Ministry of
Community and Social Services and ad -
Mr ministered by CPRI Regional Develop-
mental Services Centre in London.
Rosemarie Evans of Goderich,
previously a public health nurse for 13
years, is the home visitor for the CPRI
program in Huron County and Jacqueline
is only one of several infants she visits.
In 1978, a research project was done in
this county to determine the need of early
intervention in families with infants who
may be 'at risk' for development. As a
result of this project, the home visiting
program was started for infants from birth
to two years of age.
A child's development can be 'at risk' for
a number of reasons: mental retardation,
prematurity, low birth weight, com-
plications at birth, physical deformities,
brain damage and inadequate caretaking
or lack of emotional bonding related to
socioeconomic disadvantages, low
maternal education or poor maternal
mental health.
An infant may be referred to the
program on the basis of any of these risk
factors even if he or she is too young to be
showing clear developmental delays. Mrs.
Evans' referrals most often come from
-pediatricians, health nurses and various
social agencies such as "Family and
Children's Services. Anyone can make a
referral. Unfortunately, says Mrs, Evans,
not many people know that the program
exists.
The alms of the program are preventive.
It has been proven in research studies that
early intervention reduces the severity or
incidence of developmental problems of
the infant in later years.
"Early recognition and identification of
the problem before the child gets to school
is the key," explains Mrs. Evans.
As soon as possible after a referral, a
preliminary assessment is done in the
infant's home by two program staff
members. If it is agreed that the infant will
benefit, an individual program is then set
up.
Jacqueline was referred to Mrs. Evans
by the Thames Valley Crippled Children's
Centre in London soon after she was born.
She was then given a complete
psychological testing by Mrs. Evans and
the director of the infant stimulation
program at CPRI and a learning program
was set up. It mainly involves games
which require Jacqueline to do certain
tasks and which can be incorporated into
her daily activities to help her with hand
eye co-ordination, language, in-
dependence, gross motor skills and fine
motor skills. Some special toys are sup-
plied by CPRI and toys in the home are
utilized as well.
"Jacqueline has a very strong per-
sonality and has made great gains. Every
three months we set different goals for
her. The main one now is getting her to
walk and accept the braces on her legs,"
says Mrs. Evans.
Jacqueline is visited every two weeks for
one and half hours. Some of the infants on
the program are visited more often and
some less often depending on the severity
of their problems. Mrs. Evans schedules
her visits for the conveniency of all.
Parent training and support are very
important aspects of the program, ex-
plains Mrs. Evans. Joanne Pentland
agrees.
"I wouldn't want to have been without
TSI members speak out
"Nothing is achieved
before it is thoroughly at-
tempted," said Janet
Hiepleh, President of the
.Federated Women's In-
stitute of Ontario, at the an-
nual meeting in Toronto.
With this purpose in mind,
the delegates representing
the 27,000 members in On-
tario, passed a resolution re-
questing the governments
help homeowners, farmers
and small businesses
refinance their debts by
making loans available at a
lower interest rate.
Honourable Lorne Hender-
son, Minister of Agriculture
and Food, congratulated the
women for the leadership in
their communities and spoke
of the need for a better
understanding of the farmer
and his production.
Miss Molly McGhee,
Director of the Home
Economics Branch, Ministry
of Agriculture and Food,
challenged the women to be
the official voice of the rural
women. They must be active
and meaningful if the
organization is to be strong,
she said.
The Junior Women's In-
stitute, with its 19 branches,
meet the needs of the young
women in their communities
as well as help others. They
will be donating trophies for
the 1982 Olympics for the
Disabled.
The names of the winners
of several scholarships were
ratified and the recipients
will be presented with their
awards as the Women's In-
stitute continues to en-
courage education. The 85th
anniversary of the Women's
in 1982 with the FWIC declar-
ing February 14-21 as W.I.
week with special events
taking place. The history
and accomplishments of the
W.I. will be displayed in the
lobby of the city hall in Ot-
tawa. Ontario will celebrate
in August with represen-
tatives from the province
meeting in Toronto to hear
Mrs. Westerbring-Muller of
the Netherlands, the world
president address them.
The Erland Lee Museum
Home at Stoney Creek con-
tinues to attract visitors to
view this beautiful home and
its many artifacts as well as
see demonstrations of crafts.
Special events are planned
for the next year.
The annual officers' con-
ference at Waterloo Univer-
sity with the leaders training
sessions will be May 4, 5 and
6. The delegates will return
to their communities more
aware of the need for their
leadership in order to meet
the challenges presented to
them.
the program in the beginning. I wouldn't
have known what to do," she says.
Mrs. Evans, who took special infant
developmental training at CPRI before the
program started in 1978, teaches special
games to the parents and often asks them
to keep recordsof their infant's progress.
Dealing with an infant's temperment
and getting that infant to co-operate are
often the most difficult tasks. Games are
made fun to motivate the infant and
rewards are often given.
Mrs. Evans explains that a lot of what
she does involves just basic common
CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2 ,1881—PAGE 15
g for. handicapped children
sense. She also has developmental books
which she can loan to parents and, through
the visiting program, ,all the CPRI and
Thames Valley services can be utilized.
Such services include a speech therapist,
physiotherapist, occupational therapist,
psychologist and special toys and equip-
ment such as walkers, braces, etc.
"Most parents appreciate what I am
doing and look forward to my visits. That
makes my job enjoyable," says Mrs.
Evans. -
Where possible, Mrs. Evans tries to
include the whole family in her visits. If
there are brothers and sisters, they learn
games and exercises they can do with their
infant siblings as well. Sometimes Mrs.
Evans must work with babysitters if
parents are working or with foster parents
if the infant has been taken out of its home
by Fairly and Children's Services.
Mrs. Evans' visits end when infants
reach the age of two. Many of them go on
to specialized nursery schools for
physically, mentally or emotionally
handicapped children in places like
Exeter, Wingham and Vanastra. Some go
to regular nursery schools.
Every infant starts to learn in the first
days of life and many crucial phases of
learning take place long before he or she
goes to school. Therefore, preventive
intervention is justifiable through such
programs as home visiting, explains Mrs.
Evans.. Unfortunately, even in this
International Year of the:D1sabled, most
people in Huron County are unaware that
such a special program exists.
If you have questions about the program
or if you would like to make a referral,
contact Rosemarie Evans at the Public
Health Unit in Clinton.
BAKER'S NURSERY
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CHRISTMAS TREES
Suitable to decorate for homes,
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May also b. planted.
Taking
great
steps
Jacqueline Pentland, who was born 17 months ago with a spinal
deformity, is now learning to adjust to and walk with braces on her
legs . from the waist down. Here, she gets encouragement from
Rosemarie Evans (left,) and her mom Joanne. Mrs. Evints is with a
Home Visiting Program in Huron County for infants whose
development may be `at risk' for a number of reasons. (Photo by
Joanne Buchai pan)
11
Nurses get 30 per cent raise
WING HAM - registered
nurses, supervisors, para-
medical and mangament
personnel at the Wingham
and District General
Hospital have been awarded
wage and salary increases
amounting to over 30 per
cent over a two-year term.
Over two years it will raise
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time registered nurse to
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Hospital Executive
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add $100,000 for the
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The hospital has requested
supplementary funding from
the ministry of health to
cover both items, but so far
has not receivedan answer.
1
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