HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1987-04-29, Page 11Pilot project be
The year 1086 was an eventful one for
Town. and Country Homemakers, Those at-
tending the ninth annual dinner meeting
held in the Goderieh Townshiphall heard
board chairman Laurette Siegner and ex -
fully funded by the Provinetal governrnent,
subsudization is required, *those not eligi-
ble for IHP or other government programs,
In 1986 CommSoe.paid 00 percent of these
costs, leaving the remainder to be obtained
ecutive director Jean Young' review the through private clients,: i'undreising•-end-
challenges and constraints faced by the grants. :.
agency since Huron County was chosen by. The growth . of business points up the
the ministry of community and social ser- critical need for a computer. estimated to
vices (CommSoc) as one of six places to try cost $72,000 for hardware and software,
out the New Integrated Homemakers•Pro- Siegner said.
•gram for the Frail and Elderly and the The executive director expanded on the
Physically Handicapped (IHP) chairman's remarks, Jean Young said. the
The IHP program has been designed to implementation of the IHP program had
!low the elderly- and-the-disabled-to•remainnecessitated the reerui ing and trainip
in their • own homes. Through a variety of additional staff, at the same time as .the
home and community support systems and . Workers' Compensation • and minimum
expansion of the homemakers' service, the wage rate increases and withdrawal of
family's capacity to care for its members is', federal support for training combined to
sustained or expanded, . ' create a crisis for the Homemaking
The caring and competent personnel of industry. '
Town and Country Homemakers provide en- Guest speaker Tim Young, the ministry's
couragement and emotionai,support to their Manager of the Elderly Services Branch of
clients, as. well as help with such tasks as 'Community and Homemaker .. Programs,
meal planning and preparation, shopping, commended Town and., C.,o un t r y
cleaning, laundry, ironing, eating, dressing Homemakers, for successfully coping with
• and personal care.' • the challenge, He said Town and Country
Siegner. had predicted at the 1986 annual Homemakers, as'a .member of the Ontario
meeting last April that, removal of the
means test to qualify for the IHP could
result in a 50 percent increase of the
homemakers' service by seniors. The Ex-
eter woman Listed some startling statistics
that proved her prescience,
HOURS OF' SERVICE
- In January 1986 the agency's 75
homemakers were responsible for about
5,000 hours of service to over 200 clients a
week. The IHP was introduced in Huron five
months later. By January 1987 the monthly
hours had climbed to 11,000, and Town and
Country Homemakers were servicing an
average of 500 clients a week with a staff
that ur d ubled to•150. Associates and the Ontario Munici al Social
Four additional case workers hired initial- P
ly on a part-time basis became full-time • Services Association.
employees, Jeanne Gladding is case Jim Young said the committee did what is
manager. for Exeter and area, Evelyn Pep-- expected of any government committee - it
per looks after the Seaforth/Clinton area, divided into three subgroups, and Jean
Estelle Wise is responsible for,Goderich and Young is a member of two. Issues to be ex -
area and Wingham and area is the jurisdic mined are the rate setting process, the rate
tion of A1eta Bray. structure, low wages paid to homemakers,
The 1987 budget is over a million, double and training programs• and resources.
the previous year. Siegner said the agency Jim Young said that although Huron
still needs -to raise funds. Though the•IHP is • County is in good shape, the non-profit
homecare system in other parte of Ontario
is facing deterioration and collapse. This
vitally needed support service le jeopardiz-
ed by a convulated rate -setting structure
whereby those paying the' biggest share
sometimes have the least say. Upattractive
wages mean difficulty in recruiting the.
trustworthy, hardworking people who are
the backbone of the system, Cost factors
such as travel and wages are given insuffi-.
tient recognition in negotiations between
the buyer and the provider. of services when
rates are being set..
When government only allows an increase
g of of four percent on an already insufficient
wage, agencies •• Iike Town and Count
Homemakers have difficulty advancing the
overall attractiveness of being ' a
homemaker, Young sympathized.- He
agreed with his namesake that the
withdrawal of federal funds for training at a
tithe of .increased demand for trained
homemakers was most unfortunate.
'" ' `Sulo Life Atarance'
C7i:O�► dt Can.do
LIFE QRGAGE INSURANCE PLANE.FPfEDANNUITIES,,OE TAX PEDUCTI$LE,XILE NO LOAF A,p,$,F,
NON-SMOKEfis RATES AVAILABIrE
Rep. ARNOLD STINNISSEN•.
117 Go ierich Bt. East, Seatorth
T01427-040
Association of `"Visiting. Homemakers,
played a major role in bringing the situation
to: the attention of the provincial govern-
ment. He credited the effective lobbying ef-
forts of the OAVH (with Jean Young as cur-
rent president) for the formation by Com-
mSoc of an interministerial committee on
visiting homemaker services to thoroughly
study homemaking throughout the
province.
- The ministries of health, skills develop-
ment, colleges and universities and senior
citizens' will be involved, as will the OAVH,
the Ontario division of the Red Cross, the,
Ontario Association of Home. Care
QUANTITY AND QUALITY
Young spoke of government plans to ex-
pand both quantity and quality of services
directed at "one-stop shopping" to keep peo-
ple in their own homes and out of institutions
for as long as possible. The Huron IHP is one
of 16 now operating in Ontario, . with an
ultimate 38 scheduled. Young hopes the
10 -year time frame can be whittled down.
The estimated cost will be $60,000.00 per
year.
Young said the, Huron program is one of a
number where the "one-stop" concept is be-
ing explored and evaluated to determine the
most feasible working model.
The draft recommendations from the in--
terministerial committee are expected this
summer.
Young concluded by saying he honours
and respects the work of Town and Country
Homemakers, "who educate people like me
to the real issues".
Agriculture minister Jack Riddell, board'
chairman Laurette Siegner, first vice-
chairman Bruce McDonald and his wife
Maggie, executive director Jean Young and
her husband Jim and secretary Jane LeVan
were among the head table guests.
The quilt draw- was won by Larry
Johnston, RR 2 Clinton and Clara "Harris,,
Exeter, won dinner for four at Robindales.
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