The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-12-15, Page 7Age-old custom replaced by
modern technology and care
BY CONNIE OSBORN
Part three of an eight part
series;
The age-old custom of
families caring for their dy-
ing loved ones at home has
gradually been replaced by
modern technology and care
in health care facilities.
Although 70 percent of pa-
tients die in hospital today,
there is increasing evidence
that most people would
choose to die at home if ap-
propriate supports were
available to them. Studies
have shown that terminally
i!1 patients cared for in their
homes experienced more
dignity and comfort and
their families had less dif-
ficulty adjusting to their im-
pending death. One of the
goals of pallliative care is to
keep the patient comfortable
in their own home as long as
possible. "Be it ever so hum-
ble, there is no place like
home." At home, surround-
ed by personal belongings,
and cared for by family and
friends, the patient main-
tains his personal identity
and role.
Palliative care is a circle
of support for the dying per-
son and their family. It en-
compasses the patient, the
family and the community in
its scope; included are
hospital staff, palliative care
personnel (volunteers),
community support services
such as Public Health,
Huron County Home Care
Program, Victorian Order of
Nurses, Town and Country
Homemakers, Meals on
Wheels and the Huron Unit
Cancer Society as well as
community organizations,
service groups, churches
and funeral directors,
friends and neighbours. Cen-
tral to the circle of support is
communication and trust. It
is on this pivot that the circle
revolves; and as it turns
there is a blurring of roles
and a blending of services to
best fit the need • of the pa-
tient and family. Care
becomes a shared respon-
sibility.
The .family physician is a
central figure in caring for
the dying patient who wishes
to remain at home as long as
possible. His availability and
vigilance in the manage-
ment of pain and side effects
are of primary importance
for care at home. As the need
arises, he may refer for
needed home care services.
Referrals must come from
the family 'physician for the
Home Care Program.
While palliative care is a
recent development at our
hospital, it is not new to
Huron County. The V.O.N.
have been active with the
Huron County Home Care
Program in giving palliative
care to patients and families
since 1971,when it was in-
itiated through the efforts of
Dr. Jerry Evans, who was.
the. Medical Officer of Health
at that time.
The Home Care Program •
is administered bythe Huron
County Health Unit, under
the auspices of the Ontario
Ministry of Health and the
acting director is Cathie Rut-
ter ( 482-3411) . The program
was set up to provide an
alternative to hospital care
and to free beds. While it is a
Short Tern! Active Treat-
ment Program, it also in-
cludes palliative care for the
terminally ill and ' it is
covered by O.H.I.P. Their
policy is that no patient with
a terminal illness will be
discharged from the pro-
gram unless their condition
stabilizes. The criteria to be
admitted to the program is
that the patient needs profes-
sional services. The Home
Care 'coordinator visits
hospital end home to make
initial and ongoing
assessments to establish the
services needed in conjunc-
tion with physician, patient
and family. Nursing care is
provided by the V.O.N. and
Jan Moore (482-3447) is the
group co-ordinator. The
Home Care has , a
physiotherapist who can be
called in initially in the early
stages to instruct the patien
and the family in exercis
to prevent muscle wasting or.
any further deterioration.
This helps to maintain the
activity level as long as
possible. As well, there is an
occupational therapist Who
---does-a-Pleme-AssessMent-for-
any aids that may be useful
such as canes or wheelchairs
that can he loaned out. They
also have an enterostomal -
therapist who acts as a con-
sultant. A nutritioist is
available to set up a diet plan
based around the patient's
likes and dislikes. There is
often a loss of appetite and
the patient requires 'a high
protein and high car-
bohydrate diet.
Public health is available
for initial assessment and
ongoing monitoring and ad-
vice when the condition is
stable and the patient does
not require Home Care or
hospitalization. If further
help is needed, she will call
other resources.
'The main criteria for the
Home Care Program is when
professional services are
needed but if the patient re-
quires additional support to
remain at home, they can
also provide Homemaking
services. As there is a limit
on the numbers off
Homemaker hours, addi-
tional funding is available
from the Cancer Society.
Services from• the V.O.N.
and the Homemaker Service
can also be purchased
privately, but under the
"Home Care Prog3ram",
they are covered by O.H.I.P.
Public Health is available to
everyone without cost.
Pertinent telephone
numbers and names for
palliative care support are
listed for the benefit of the
public so that they know
where to reach help when it
is needed. Families feel
reassured knowing that help
is readily at hand. With this
type of support, their dying
relatives may remain at
home longer, frequently un-
til death. 1. family physi-
cian; 2. Huron County Home
Care Program (482-3411) ; 3.
Catherine Walsh, Director of
Nursing, Huron County
Health Unit (524-8301) ; 4.
Jean Young, Director, Town
and Country Homemakers
(357-3222) ; 5. Marj Brown,
secretary of the Goderich
Cancer Society (524-9625).
The V.O.N. is on call 24
hours a day and the group
co-ordinator for Huron Coun-
ty is Jan Moore (482-3447).
Jan is in the office in the
afternoons, at other times,
emergency messages can be
left at the Clinton Hospital
(482-3447). •
Help is as close as your
telephone!
Next week: Dealing With
Grief •
For Exclusive and
Unusual Gifts
i
ti
Robert Tebow of the Queen EUzabeth School shows his pleasure at receiving a Christmas
gift from Joanne Chambers. Mrs. Chambers was one of the Trinity Christian Reformed
Church ladies who visited the school to distribute gifts and sing carols last Thursday. (Photo
by Joanne Buchanan)
Clover Leaf 4-H hold meeting
Mayme Wilkins was- the
hostess Tuesday evening at
her home for the first meet-
ing of the Clover Leaf 4-H
club, Ontario Heritage. Don-
na Arnold is the leader of the
club as well as Mayme. The
club has 12 members.
Mrs. Emile MacLennan
had her son and daughter-in-
law, Jack and Annette Mac-
Lenna of Stratford on the
weekend. Rhetta treated
them to the Legion pot luck
supper in Ripley on Saturday
evening.
•Mr. and Mrs. Gordon
Robb -had their daughter and
son-in-law, Edwin and Janice
McCutcheon and their family
of Lions Head, son, Glen
Robb of Ashfield Township,
and daughter and son-in-law,
William and Shirley Irwin
and family of Ashfield Town-
ship on Sunday. On Tuesday
their daughter, Sandra Dar-
LOCHALSH
NEWS
Kee Webster, 396-5257
ling of Hanover was down to
visit with her parents, and on
Wednesday Mrs. Robb's sis-
ter and brother-in-law, Mr.
and Mrs. John McMillan of
Listowel dropped in for a
visit.
We would like to sendour
congratulations to Mr. and
Mrs. Rick McQuillin on the
arrival of their wee son. Mr.
and Mrs: Bill Kempton of
Point Clark are •the proud
grandparents and for Mrs.
Albert CaMpbell of Lucknow
it is her first great, great
grandchild.
There will be many in the
area who will be sorry to
learn' that Mrs. Georgia Mit-
chell (our Avon representa-
tive) suffered a very severe
heart attack a couple of
, weeks ago, and is now a'
,patient in University Hospit-
al, in LolMdM - ' .
Dorothy MacLennan had
her son, Finlay MacLennan
of Kitchener home.,with her
on the weekend.
CommodoreVlC-20.
Because young minds can't
growonvideo games alone.
It costs about the same as a video game.
IEATI'IRES .
❑ plays great cartridge game
❑ hooks up easily to anv 'IV set
❑ 5KK memory and built in BASIC
❑ hill size computer keyboard
❑ full colour graphics and sound
0 self teaching.instniction booklet
sister computer to the Commodore PET `'__
commodore,
•
(;rent games aeatkearning.Great pnce.
EXPANSION CAPABILITIES
❑ Vic single disk drive
O,Datasette - cassette recorder
❑ Vic graphic printer "
❑ memory expander cartridges (up to 32K)
0 game controllers; joysticks or paddles
O Vic Modem; telephone communications
1
43 Albert St.
Clinton
482-3876
ANGER'S
T.V. AND APPLIANCES
92 SOUTH ST.
GODERICH 524-8925
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15,198'2 --PAGE 7
Seaforth resident attends
Heart Foundation meeting
Lloyd Rowat of Seaforth
was Huron's representative
to the Ontario Heart
Foundation annual meeting
held recently at the West-
bury Hotel in Toronto. Mr.
Rowat serves as the
Treasurer on the local Heart
Foundation Chapter.
As well as attending the
annual meeting, Mr. Rowat
took part in a province -wide
volunteer workshop entitled
"Building ' Chapters
Together". The workshop
provided the opportunity for
volunteers to meet and share
new ideas and tools which
might assist them in
developing a better Heart
Foundation presence in their
communities.
Mr. Rowat said the
workshops were very well
L O 1� K
•RINGS •NECKLACES
•BRACELETS •BEADS
J}t ra gem 3
51 ST. DAVID, GODERICH
524-174
planned and most in-
teresting. He indicated that
the Foundation was at-
tempting to get organized
from the local chapters up
rather than the present
system of from the top down.
Dr. H.J.M. Barnett,
'London, addressed the group
at lunch and Premier
William Davis wa,s the guest
speaker at the evening meal.
The Huron County Chapter
has approved 15 local
elementary and secondary
schools for the Jump Rope
for Heart Program.
PECK APPLIANCES
"IN THE HEART 5OF DOWNTOWN VAli:NA"
• FILTER QUEEN SALES 61 SERVICE
•VACUUM CLEANERS - (Sales 81 Service to
•FM COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
For Farm & business
• SPEED QUEEN APPLIANCES
• MOFFAT APPLIANCES
• INSECT LIGHTS & FLY KILLING UNITS
• GIFTS
•MANY OTHER ITEMS
VARNA, ONT.
482-7105
SNOW REMOVAL:
LET THE SHOVEL BRIGADE
Clear Away Your Winter Headaches
PORCHES, STEPS, WALKWAYS & DRIVEWAYS.
We're fast and Economically Minded
GET THE LOAD OFF YOUR MIND BEFORE
ITS ALL OVER YOUR YARD.
CALL 524-4664
Coll weekdays i a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday
Shop now for
Quality at Savings
at Smitty's
At these prices...you can afford the best!
Very beautiful, quality greenhouse plants. A
great gift for neighbors, parent%, grand-
parents, teachers, crergy and other loved
ones! Also Azaleas, Cyclamen, Mum & other
flowering & green plants. •
Also... Fresh Holly
ONLY Vi EA.
(A. $7.99 VALUE)
OR $4.99 (A $9.95 VALUE)
Multiple Bloom Poinsettias, only 59.95 (As1sssValue)
(Sizes Kids' 2'to Men's Giant) • 1 and 2 Piece Suits
O/2O0OFZZ½
PRICE
1 STYLE OF YOUTHS SIZE 14 ONLY at this price . NOT EXACTLY
AS SHOWN!
1 PIECE SNOW SUITS
ONLY $2 OO"7
■•r
Real 'Canadian Made' Quality.
Reg. $49.95 Value
This is just one of the many bargains t® be found.
SNOWMOBILERS.& SKIERS
"Here's Value for Christmas!"
WINTER VEST &
`SKI JACKETS 2O0
OFF
(Vests shown below left)
MITTS &
GLOVES
MEN'S
DUCK.PILE
LINED
GREEN
HYDRO PARKA
SIZE 36 TO 52
60 DIFFERENT
TYLES TO CHOOSE!
Reg. 39.95
FOOTWEAR.
-Kids
BOER JACKE1S
ONLY 575
WHILE. LAST
decided??
Sfi11 ONE- lsgE
(IF ,Mho's
he person
or
hard
Yt or or land the Usable n on
hard to Gardener. Hardware.
Country Footwear, sup'
Spring Garden
SILL MAY
Y
flowers, t VALID
plies.., p,p slack......_
30, 1983.
=LEATHER FELT PACKS
.NYLON FELT PACKS
•GALOSHES
.SNOWMOBILE BOOTS
•AND MANY MORE...
Sorry leather work boots & rubber boots
not at Sale Prices
OFF
Also save on...hats, toques, socks, flannel shirts, sweaters,
thermal long underwear, andmuch, much more!
And Bo`K' Barn Florist
82 SOUTH ST., GODERICH 524-8761
CHRISTMAS STORE HOURS: 8:30 TO 8 PAC MON-SAT.ITHURS. A PAL NITES TILL 8 PA.
OPEN TILL 8 P.M.'MON. M THU` 'S., bEG. 2-01.0 23
4