HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-04-18, Page 26v:!
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',41,
Ry Janet Reid-
The Wingham and Area Day
Centre for the Homebound marks
its tenth anniversary this Thursday,
April 1 20. It has been. a busy 10
years, but ones which have seen the
centre grow m popularity, as well
as stature, in the community.
Dr. Anne Martini -Matthews,
director of gerontology research .at
the University of Guelph, will be
the guest speaker at this Thursday's
open house, beginning at 1 p.m.
The day centre's involvement
with the University of Guelph goes
back a long way. Several years ago,
Huron County was selected to
study the various aspects of aging
in a rural environment. This came
to be known as the Rural Develop-
ment Outreach Project (RDOP).
This county was selected because
it was known to have more resi-
dents over 65 years of age than the
national average.
Many of these people lived alone
with little or no access to trans-
portation. Loneliness and depres-
sion often resulted in frequent trips
to thehospital or doctors' offices.
The RDOP survey indicated that
there were at least 300 persons liv-
ing alone in isolation due to physi-
cal infirmities and a lack of trans-
portation. By this time, the Huron
Day Centre for the. Homeb.•nnd
had opened at C'jnton with the
help of Ann Ste-,�,o n, a founding
e b
mm
e of
r
the Wi .:
n�ham day cen-
treo.
The government was beginning
to recognize that the numer of
people over the age of 65 would
increase rapidly over the next sev-
eral years, placing stress on avail-
able space in hospitals and nursing
homes. Everyone agreed that the
best and least -expensive place for
seniors to live was at home, with
increased community services.
Financial support became ,avail-
able through the ministry of com-
munity and social services for
home -support programs, such as
homemaking and day centres for
homebound seniors.
The Home Care Program, which
was newly operational, also identi-
fied a great need for social and
recreational outlets for senior citi-
zens.
HOW IT1BEc AN
Armed with this, information,
Ran Kurhana, a physiotherapist at
Wingham and , District Hospital,
called a meeting of various persons
working in the community. These
people formed a steering commit-
tee whose goal was to explore the
possibility of starting a program for
Green's
Meat Market
and Abattoir
romebou, ;nd seniors.
_ - *bars of the . R?Ztl►: e,
ter, t
0
�. da ntre.
first and 9f erect ,, i
Ms. Ste. John; Mr. Kurhana:
MarrJtt, RDOP fieldwarker; Rev
Barry Passmore, Wingham Ministe-
rial Association; Harold Wild, town
council; Catherine Walsh and Janet
Reid, Huron County Health Unit;
George Taylor, :.senior citizens' club;
Jean Young, Town and.Country
Homemakers and Patricia Watson,
Sharon Warwick and Frank Field,
concerned citizens. •
The Win; am Armouries was
chosen as a home.for the fledging
day centre. With the co-operation of
the town, necessary alterations
were made to the washrooms and a
ramp was built.to make the build-
ing accessible,
Under an agreement with' the
town, the day centre and the senior
citizens' club have access to the
Armouries with the centre paying
rent and getting the same. back in
the form of a grant.
In December of 1978, Ms. Ste.
John applied -for a Canada Works
grant to hire four summer students
and purchase supplies. The stu-
dents hired were Doreen Taylor,
Anne Adair, Mary Ellen, Foran and
Lynn Anderson. They worked fbr
the committee as facilitators
establish the, serei a on
basis
1 'in rest Was -04E
bo
u "t>
tci '.
.o
and'various: servce c u s. Seniors
. rs`
ono
were interviewed in:their hornet
and seniors' o anization re r°esen
tatives also.*e i„`terview .
The. Wingham and District Rios.
pitalpoundation,proovided`to.
maintain the_progrann.:and purchase'
dishes and cutlery This money. also.
helped to reimburse volunteer
drivers 21 cents per mile to bring
people to the Armouries, buy gro-
ceries and two months of operation.
The senior citizens' club applied.
for and received a New Hoons'
grant to purchase; supplies- Mr. Tay-
lor, president of the club, was Most
co-operative and helpful' during the
organization: of the centre and later
on its board of directors:"
The centre opened on April 17,
1979, with four participants and
t Xo1unteersr, Y Ma� . 5, on
Month �later,13 seniors attended, the
program with the help. of seven vol-
unteers. One month later it` opened
for twodays.each week.
By September of that first year,
there were 23 clients and referrals
were being made by public health
nurses, ministers, doctors, horne-
v
tnali ng:agencles a
G
That,.first sum- , in
e.
little n• ar+�r.�v�ith
a cti t ti
took place "a htc. .
treat/ en d :ear. dances were
held ritlh Invitations ping 0 t
senors in the com°unaity, a
nursing home residents ,ak ng i
dances'a great success.
Some other. Programs incl.
picnics, Seniors' fyrnpibs, d
ratingaa.float for Wine's;cense;
nial parade, card gatnes,ingc, ar
nutritious noon meals. The off
day centre opening was a high,
in July.
The clients a:id�'.$3yper da
which covered the paid
of the f c
for the noon meal
Thee first board of directoi el t
ed eatherine Walsh, director. of
nursing for the Huron County
Health Unit, as chairman. Miss
Walsh, Mr. Kurhana and Mrs. Mar:.
ritt applied for provincial funding
at`50 per cent.. of proposed;costs and
engineered the incorporation ofthe
day centre.
The centre owes a debt of grati-,
tude to these people for unravelling
the red tape.
During the first years, cash-flow
problems were the board's greatest
(Continued on Page 7B)
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357-3461
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Thurp. & Fri. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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• Home Delivery
• Seniors' Discounts on Wednesdays
For a complete listing of this week's specials
see our flyer in the mall
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