The Ontario Government is expanding the province’s Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program to Lennox and Addington County. This program, which is fully funded by the provincial government and already operational across 33 Ontario communities, is now being expanded to 22 more. The program has been well-received in neighbouring Hastings County since its launch there in February 2021.
“Our government is fixing Ontario’s long-term care system and improving the care seniors receive is a key part of our plan,” said Daryl Kramp, MPP of Hastings-Lennox and Addington. “The expansion of the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program to Lennox and Addington will support our local seniors by providing them high-quality care when and where they need in their own homes, while they wait for a bed in long-term care.”
The program works alongside primary care and home and community care to provide the following services to eligible seniors:
· Access to health services 24/7, through in-home and remote methods, such as online supports;
· Non-emergency home visits and in-home testing procedures;
· Ongoing monitoring of vital signs to prevent escalation of chronic medical conditions; and,
· Assessments, referrals, diagnostic procedures, and point-of-care testing.
Early feedback from participating communities indicates reduction in rates of hospital admissions and an increased integration with primary care.
The program is fully funded by the provincial government and is operated in partnership with municipalities and District Social Services Administration Boards.