Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Seniors Outreach Services (SOS) executive director Wendy McDonald gave Lennox and Addington Council an update on their transfer of services to the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) during a recent working session.
VON is set to assume control of all SOS’s provincially funded programs on July 1.
“We are undergoing a period of change,” said McDonald, updating council on the transfer that was first announced in April. “We want to sustain the services seniors are currently receiving. We felt we needed to start transferring our services.”
As of Canada Day, VON will now oversee the county’s meals on wheels, transportation, congregate dining, in home respite, weekend overnight respite and adult day program.
“This transition, if anything, we’re hoping it increases services to our community,” said McDonald.
She noted VON was selected not only because they offer services SOS offered, but also additional ones such as foot care and home maintenance.
“The understanding is they are to provide those services in the very near future here in this region,” added McDonald.
“In this transition we did termination notices to 35 staff, including myself,” said McDonald. “There have been former job posting and new postings and interviews have all been conducted so we’ll see how many staff will be getting their jobs back. All the same jobs are not being posted unfortunately, so there will be a few staff not returning.”
McDonald noted it appeared seniors would likely still get the same PSW working with them as they had prior to the transfer.
When the switch to VON was first announced, it was reported volunteers would have to re-apply should they choose to continue with the same responsibilities they had with SOS. That is no longer the case.
“It wasn’t long before VON decided if you will sign off your volunteer package to come be a part of us, they will let you come aboard,” said McDonald, noting SOS has upwards of 270 volunteers. “The volunteers were very pleased.”
As for SOS, it will continue to exist beyond July 1, though strictly through their 55 Plus activity centre.
“We’re all in the same building,” said McDonald. “It all looks the exact same, but we are split. SOS is still going to continue on, we’ll have charitable status, we’ll have a volunteer board of directors, we’ll have staffing and we will have volunteers and we will continue to receive funding from the ministry and report to them.”
SOS will receive $42,700 from the province and will continue to seek donations and fundraising opportunities.
“We’re excited SOS can continue on in the community,” said McDonald. “It’ll just have a different look to it. We won’t be taking care of the seniors in their home, we’ll be taking care of the seniors that want to be active.”
-Interlibrary loan services may get a second life in Lennox and Addington, though not until 2020.
In a report to council, L&A County director of community and development service’s Stephen Paul noted the service that was halted by the provincial government in April is once again available.
“When our patrons asked for a book we didn’t have, we could go online to a system, find where that book was and have it shipped to us through a currier system,” Paul explained of the interlibrary loan service. “It could be in North Bay, Thunder Bay, Belleville, you name it.”
Paul noted on average they had 3,500 transactions through the service, while 3,200 transactions were made of Lennox and Addington County libraries to ship books elsewhere across the province.
“Overnight, that ceased to exist,” Paul said of the service. “Then just as quickly an announcement came out on May 31 indicating it has been saved and it is now available to be used, but there’s a few hitches in regards to that.”
The technology to search for books has been saved, however shipping the books isn’t as easy.
“The hitch is now the library service is responsible for putting those in a package and mailing them through Canada Post,” noted Paul. “The province has indicated they’re going to reimburse libraries for that, but from a staffing perspective we’ve been slightly frustrated because it’s not business as usual in regards to this. It’s something that’s now available, something that’s been very much promoted as being available, but does come at a cost that’s not budgeted for the library.”
Paul said in talking with L&A County Libraries manager Catherine Coles, their recommendation to council was to wait until at least Jan. 1, 2020 before offering the service again. That would give them time to learn how the reimbursement program would work and to ensure the reimbursements would last beyond 2019.
Council voted to accept and adopt the recommendation.