Loading...
The Brussels Post, 1974-02-13, Page 3. After you turn 21 your parent's OHIP insurance no longer includes you. You're on your Own. So apply for your own OHIP number. DOn't delay or you could be Walking into an emergency uncovered! Get an appli- cation fOrm from an OHIP District Office and send it in immediately. Important: Always quote your OHIP number when contacting OHIP. The OHIP District Office in your area will answer any questions and help you With your application, HarrnIton 25 Main St, W, 528-3481 LondOn 227 9ueeris Ave. 433-4561 Sudbury 295 Bond St. 675-9111 Toronto 2195 YOnge St. (Eglintori) 482-111 Missisatiuga 55 City Centre Dr. 275-2730 Kingston 1055 PrincesS St, 546-3811 Ottawa 75 Albert St, 27-0.100 Thiinder Bay' 200 South Syndicate Ave, 623-5.131 Windsor 1427 Ouellette Ave. 258-7560 THE BRUSSELS POSt FEBRUARY A. Mirilstry of Health Hort Rici>ard t Potter, M,D, Minister Physiotherapy, along with occupational therapy and the services of a VON nurse are all available to patients on the Huron County Home Care program. Here physiotherapist John Westcott, who works for Home Care, helps Mrs.. Strachan with her exercises. Physiotherapist John A. Westcott helps Home Care patient Mrs. Thomas Strachan of Brussels get around her home. Mr. Westcott makes a weekly visit to Mrs. Strachan to supervise the exercises that are designed to improve her leg- ailment. uron Home Care can replace hospital stay Mention the Huron County me Care program and most ople, if they know about it at , think of a service which may vide a home maker, someone help with the housework for a !pie of weeks if you are just out hospital and are not quite able look after yourself. 11 is this image of Home Care at Betty Cardno of Seaforth, the gram's director, is trying to t straight. Home making is just one of the rvices that the county Horn re program offers, Mrs. rdno says. Anyone who gets 1p from a home maker (limited 80 hours), must also need at ast one of the professional rvices that Home Care offers physiotherapist, occupational erapist or Y.O.N.: nurse. Total Package Home Care is a total package, esigned to keep people out of xpensive and in-demand ospital beds and in their own omes where recovery is often eedier. The program has uipment like walkers and nimocie chairs available for loan Home Care patients. Service ubs loan the equipment free of large but Mrs.Cardno says crc is always more needed. "We can in some cases replace spital care, rather than being st an extension of it, Mrs. ardno says, adding that the iblic and in some cases doctors, ho must refer a patient for ome Care, try to use the •ogram for extended tare. 342 People One of the 342 people who Were ome Care patients so far this ear is (their year runs from pril to March)a woman who had aricose ulcers but did not want to 0 into hospital. She asked her octor about the possibility of ome Care, the doctor referred er to Mrs. Cardno arid the oman was treated at home finder the program through VON sits and part-tithe help from a ome maker, "We have to look at what oals the doctor and the patient ave --- if rehabilitation oals are ere, the program can be of elp". When accepting a person to the Rothe Care rirogratri i Cardno says i The Horne are program helps rehabilitate rough two services, physio and ectipational therapy. An ccupational therapist is Ori loan the program froth the Goderich syclilatrie Hospital for one day a week. A physic, therapist works for Home Care for half a week, and at Seaforth. Community Hospital for the rest of the week. The occupational therapist, according to Mrs. Cardno, comes on the job after everyone else, "the doctors,the hospital,the physiotherapist have helped the patient as much as they can." "It's the occupational thereapist's job to help the patient become as independent as possible in daily activities", she says. "Our occupational therapist has all kinds of gadgets which will allow a person with any kind of handicap to live as normal a life as possible." Both the physical and occupational therapists have helped one man in Huron County who was bed ridden and quite depressed when he left hospital after a stroke. "The physiotherapist visits him two or three times during the week and has him working on his own on an exercise routine. He is now out of bed and walking with a cane. The amount of phySio he can get at home is limited so as soon as he's able he'll go to an outpatient clinic for more intensive exercise and therapy. The Home Care occupational therapist visits this patient once a week and has encouraged the man to work at refinishing furniture. "He'll never have much use of one atm, but at least he's getting the most he can out of life", the Home Care director says. The limit of 80 hours on home making services sometimes makes it difficult for the Home Care program to do much chronic or long-term cases, Mrs. Cardno says. Right now she is dealing with a woman with small children who is just out of hospital on crutches and is unable to climb stairs. 'She'll probably need help at home for longer than two weeks", Mrs: Cardno says,' Private Homemakers For situations like this, or for Old age pensioners who need long term help- while getting over an illness but do not want to go to a nursing home, honieniakers can be hired_piivately. If the patient can't afford to pay a homemaker; in some cases, the provincial social services department will paY• There is a great need in the county for homemakers w and companions; mainly fot elderly people W110 want to stay hi their 'homes. Mrs. Cardno's office wilt try to put people who are ,available for work as privately paid homemakers in touch with people who need either live-in or part-time homemaking assistance. • 6 Week Course The 35 or 40 women who work as homemakers for the Home Care Program have taken a six week course at Conestoga College in Clinton and learn basics about patient care, nutrition, psychology .and child 'care. Another course begins in April. "I always like to find out what the family and patient expect from a homemaker"., Mrs. Cardno ,says. "Our homemakers are supposed to provide personal care for the patient, not heavy housework". She could do, with a' ' list of good. cleaning women who could be paid privat ely by patients who .need help with housework,' she adds. The Home Care Program has been in operation in Huron County since November 1971. Mrs. Cardno is, the program's first director. Originally the office was in` Seaforth, in the Commtinity Hospital. Home Care headquaratJes are now in Clinton, in the former Nurses' Reside,nce across from the Hospital there. Health Unit Home Care is a branch of the Huron County HealtlrUnit and is under the direction of MOH Frank Mills. Public Health Nurses in Exeter, VVingham, Clinton, Seaforth and Goderich work as liaison with Home Care, assessing patients in their areas" to see what services are required. Although money for the Home Care program comes from the province, Mrs. Cardno says that every program is allowed to develop to s.uit its own :onimunitv. "Home Care in the cities is iore involved with active 'reatment than we are", Mrs. 2ardno says. She has found that tome Care can have a role in reating the terminally ill patient vho wants to die at home in 'amiliar surroundings rather than n Hospital, Mrs. Cardno says, 'if the family can take it." A Post Classified will pay you dividends. Have you tried one? Dial Brussels 887-6641.