The following is a press release from L&A County
Community paramedics had been in place in Lennox and Addington since January of 2021, with Ministry of Health funding of $365K.
L&A County Council has been lobbying the Ministry of Longterm Care Health since that time for the additional funding to provide this important service on an ongoing basis to county residents.
The Community Paramedic program will help patients stay in their homes when their disease severity may normally necessitate admission to a long term care facility. These specialized paramedics are focusing on preventing further progression of their patient’s diseases and maintaining their quality of life while empowering them to maintain their independence. This is accomplished as part of a multidisciplinary team including PSWs, home care nursing, physicians and nurse practitioners.
The program will provide residents with:
- Access to health services 24-7, through in-home and remote methods,
- Non-emergency home visits and in-home testing procedures
- Ongoing monitoring of changing or escalating conditions to prevent or reduce emergency incidents
- Additional education about healthy living and managing chronic diseases
Jakob Rodger is an advanced care paramedic, currently working in the program.
“It feels meaningful to play a big part in keeping patients out of the hospital by implementing a preventative model of medicine,” Rodger said.
“This is very different from the reactive practice we experience when working as 911 Paramedics,” Rodger added.
The Acting Superintendent of Community Paramedicine, Paul Osborn, ACP, has worked on this project since its inception.
“It is amazing to see the positive impact this program is having not only on the client’s health, but also the family and care providers who support them,” said Osborn.