Adam Prudhomme
Editor
In an effort to fill a void created during the pandemic, Rural Frontenac Lennox and Addington Allied Health Team will be hosting a free CPAP clinic on Feb. 13.
Held at their offices at 310 Bridge St. E (inside the Lenadco building), the clinic will welcome four CPAP vendors (VaitalAire, InspiAir, MediGas and ProResp), who will be on hand to offer free assessments, downloads, machine inspections and counselling. Typically anyone looking for this kind of assessment would not only have to travel to Kingston or Belleville, but would also pay upwards of $100 for the service.
“CPAC services have been shutdown through all of COVID because it’s a respiratory service so we’re really hurting for that therapy in the area and there’s been a lot of requests for that in the area,” said Ashley Greveling, registered respiratory therapist with the RFLA Allied Health Team. “The vendors now are just lifting their restrictions, however they went through a lot of budget cuts through the last couple of years and so now they’re charging higher amounts just to sit down. So I’m offering these services for one day for free for anybody who has (CPAC) and CPAC affects a very big range, (ages) 18-95 and one in four people have sleep apnea so it affects a big part of the population.”
The CPAC clinic will run from noon to 3 p.m. and is open to anyone with questions about CPAC equipment.
-RFLA Allied Health will also be offering a 12-week COPD exercise program, starting Feb. 15.
Each participant is given a fitness assessment and the exercises are modified based on their abilities.
“It’s a 12-week exercise program for people with COPD, it’s kind of a mini version of a pulmonary rehab,” said Greveling. “We take on 15 clients at a time and it’s once per week for an hour and we just kind of progress.”
Participants will also learn exercises they can safely do at home in their own time as well.
The sessions will take place at 310 Bridge St. E.
Anyone interested in taking part must reserve their spot in advance by emailing KatherineT@kchc.ca or calling 613-449-5678.