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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-05-04, Page 25Arbor Day teaches respect Plant a tree for tomorrow Patty MacDonald and Patti Reid were part of a large clean-up crew made up of Goderich elementary school students, who aided in the,Arbor Day parks grooming throughout town. All Goderich schools also held-a:Area planting ceremony asn.part of the Arbor D' iy festivities. (photo by Dave Sykes) . Mayor Deb Shewfelt gets some assistance in the tree planting ceremonies at Robertson Public School last Thursday. The mayor assisted in the planting at the school as part of the Arbor Day festivities. The elementary school students also spent a few hours in grooming the parks in Goderich Godericth and Lisa Lamb found plenty of work in Bingham Park. This was the fourth annual Arbor Day held in assistance with the Goderich Parks Department. (photo by Dave Sykes) SINAL -STAR 131 YEAR -18 . THURSDAY, MAY1,1978 ., -SETONITS'ECTION .. Homemakers catching on in Huron BY JOANNE WALTERS Homemaker Service. It's a relatively new idea in rural Canada but one which is taking shape quite nicely in Huron County thanks to a Canada Works grant which has enabled a charitable. organization called Town and Country Homemakers to get started. This organization, having sold over 6,000 hours of homemaking service to county -residents in its first three months of operation (January to March), has proven that a need for such service does exist here. Town and Country Homemakers' main office is located at 199 Josephine Street in Wingham and the ad ministrator is Jean Young. The Canada Works grant worth '$33,540" helps to employ four people at the office who co- ordinate, supervise and develop homemaking in Huron County. Homemakers help maintain and preserve ,a family environment with skills in both homemaking and personal care when the individual's or family's physical or mental well-being is threatened, disrupted or in the process of rehabilitation. Trained homemakers can assume full or partial responsibility in the care of infant, child, youth, adult, elderly, handicapped or chronically ill person. They can plan meals, prepare nourishing food, cook for special diets, do the marketing, light housekeeping, laundry, ironing, necessary mending and personal care . including baths, mouth care, help with eating, aid in and out of bed and up and down stairs and if needed, can perform simple bedside care under the direction of a nurse or doctor, and therapy under a physio, occupational or speech therapist. WHO CAN BUY SERVICES? Any resident in Huron County can buy the services of a homemaker through the Town and Country Homemakers organization on a private basis. For example, elderly, handicapped or chronically ill people can buy this ser- vice which will keep them' out of nursing homes and hospitals in many cases and in their own homes' where they are generally happier. Families can also hire ho ±,emakers on a private basis to look after children or other dependents when absent during holidays, illness or convalescence. The Home Care program can also buy homemaker services. Home Care is an active treatment programwhich provides health care in the home to selected patients according to individual. needs. O.H.I.P. covers the charge. Social Services and Family and Children's Services may help pay the fees of homemaker services where a child needs care during the absence of a mother or other person in whose charge he is ; or if an elderly, handicapped, ill person or convalescent •requires such. service on a part-time basis in order that he remain in his own home. The Cancer Society may also buy homemaker services for cancer patients who wish to be cared for in their own homes. In the first three months of operation, Home Care had bought most of the homemaker service from Town and Country Homemakers at 57.7 per cent or 3,430 hours and 80 clients. Private people had bought 35.1 per cent of the services at 2,000 hours and 22 clients. Social Services had bought seven per cent of the services and Family and Children's Services had bought .1 per cent. NOT JUST FOR ELDERLY Mrs. Young says a real variety of people use the homemaker service. Most of the private people buying homemaker service are elderly people facing nursing homes. With just a small amount of help from a homemaker who may do the shopping, run ,errands, or do some cleaning for the elderly person,'he or she can stay in his or her own home. The homemaker often makes good company for the elderly person too. One of the biggest of the private demands is for live-in help and Town and Country Homemakers is trying to keep up with that demand. , • Mrs. Young would emphasize that the homemaker service is not only for the elderly and the handicapped. The ser- vices provided can be used by people of all ages, even by young mothers who feel they have to get out of the house at least once a month. These young mothers can be relieved of their duties by a homemaker so they may do just that. The only criteria for homemaker service eligibility is that the homemaker service must be needed for some reason, whether it be if the individual's or family's physical or mental well-being is threatened, disrupted or in the process of rehabilitation as mentioned before. Mrs. Young says that the Wingham area has been the busiest area for the new homemaking service so far with approximately 56 cases. The Goderich and Clinton area have required services -for approximately 35 cases (15 in Clinton and 20 in Goderich). There are 14 homemakers in the Goderich and Clinton area with about eight of those in Goderich. In all there are about 50 to 60 homemakers spread out all over the rb county. Mrs. Young, a former homemaker working through the Home Care program, interviews all the homemakers .before they are hired by Town and Country Homemakers and if anyone is interested in being in- Jean Young.......Wingham most receppve terviewed for such a job, they may contact Mrs. Young at the Wingham office. HOMEMAKERS TRAINED Most of the homemakers hired have been trained through a three month Certified Visiting Homemakers Course run by Canada Manpower at Conestoga College in Clinton. Mrs. Young has requested another such three month course. for 12 more interested homemakers next spring. Homemakers should have their own transportation but this is not an absolute necessity says Mrs. Young. A good homemaker is adaptable, mature, confidential and has a warm per- sonality. A homemaker gets into a lot of situations which require maturity and the average age of the Town and Country homemaker is between 35 and 60 years. The homemaker must be sensitive to her client's needs. Her job often involves a combination of this sensitivity and being told what to do by the client. As clients become better or able to function on their own without help, many homemakers, work themselves right out of a job but there are always others available. An excerpt from the homemakers' code of ethics says: "The homemaker will respect the privacy, dignity and other rights of persons and will use in- formation obtained in the course of duties in a responsible manner...The homemaker will work directly under the supervision of a medical person towards the rehabilitation of the physically, emotionally or mentally ill and -or handicapped individual or family." MORE THAN CLEANING The homemaker does not simply do house cleaning. Her job is a combination of many duties. While she can't directly give medication, she can encourage her client to take his or her medication at the proper times according to a schedule which may be made up by a nurse. The homemaker .can also do mouth care, give bed baths and perform other per- sonal care. Sometimes a list of exercises may be 'given to her by a therapist. She can then go thitough these exercises with her client 'as often as required. This is good for stroke patients, those suffering from arthritis and older people. Mrs. Young says there are about five or six house cleaners around the county. Town and Country .Homemakers is looking into the idea of just simply having house cleaners to do house work in some cases. For example, one house cleaner went to an elderly couple's home to do their spring cleaning for them as both had suffered strokes and couldn't do anything too physically strenuous. Other than,their heavy household chores, the cuple was able to function fine without assistance from a homemaker. Some clients may have both homemakers and house cleaners if necessary says Mrs. Young. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE • Town and Country Homemakers .have one qualified homemaker on staff who is subsidized presently with the help of the Canada Works grant. Her services may therefore be sold to private buyers at a reduced rate if necessary, It is always nice to have some money on hand, for' helping out private buyers who require a homemaker hut can't necessarily afford one, says Mrs. Young. Town and Country Homemakers will have a door to door canvass around October in order to raise enough money so that private buyers may still be able to buy homemaker services at a reduced rate if needed again next year after the government grant runs out. Also, if a person has an income of less than $1,500' a year or if a couple has a total income of,,less than $2,500 a year, they may be eligible for financial assistance from Community and Social Services in order to benefit from the services of either a homemaker or nurse in their own home, without having the family disrupted. If you need these services, but cannot afford all of the cost involved, phone or visit your municipal welfare office. You can 'also receive information by contacting the regional office or sub -office nearest you (Wingham, Box 510 (357-3370) or Stratford, 380 Hibernia' Street (271- .1530) ). Mrs. Young 'would emphasize again that Town and Country Homemakers is being incorporated and registered as a "Charitable Organization" under the Canada Income Tax Act. Town and Country Homemakers is not a private business but a non profit organization which runs on what it makes. The homemakers with the Town and Country Homemakers organization are paid for their services by the hour plus mileage and benefits. The client, whether a private buyer or Home Care or Social Services buyer, pays Town and Country Homemakers who in turn pay their homemakers. HOW THE SERVICE STARTED HERE When the Home Care program started Turn to page 3A •