VON Chatham-Kent
Message from VON’s President & CEO
At VON, our vision is “every life lived to the fullest.” With that in mind, our caring team provides the necessary supports to help our clients stay healthy, live well and remain active.
We meet clients where they need us—in their own homes and in clinics, schools and other community spaces—to deliver the care that they and their families need. We do so knowing that most people prefer to receive support for illness or frail health in their own homes, in the communities they know and love.
In order to bring people the services they depend on, we rely on a dedicated team of nurses, personal support workers, therapists and other service providers. We are also grateful for our committed volunteers, who see the value in our programs and help us to extend more care to more individuals.
As a trusted charity, we also rely on the support of funders, community partners and donors to ensure that we can deliver the compassionate care clients need. Please visit us online at von.ca to find out how you can join our family of volunteers and donors.
We are happy to provide you with this overview of the VON services offered in your area. Do reach out to our team members with any questions. We’re here to help.
Jo-Anne Poirier President & CEO VON Canada
About VON
VON has been a leader and changemaker in Canadian health care since 1897, serving isolated and marginalized populations right at their doorsteps. Today, we deliver nursing care, in-home support, community support services (CSS), and primary health care to thousands of people in Ontario and Nova Scotia every day.
We support clients where they need us
Our dedicated team of nurses, personal support workers, therapists, volunteers and other service providers care for people in their homes, in the community, and virtually. We are well known for our care of older adults, but we also serve children, people with chronic conditions, individuals recovering from wounds, injuries and hospital stays, and people with intellectual or cognitive challenges.
Looking to the future
Currently, many Canadians want and need home care, but aren’t able to get it. VON works closely with our partners and communities to explore new relationships, new models of care, and new methods of care delivery to keep vulnerable individuals out of long-term care and hospital, so they can remain healthy and engaged in their communities.
We are moving away from paper-based processes with our new digital health platform, VON Connect. Once fully implemented, this secure software solution—developed specifically for home and community care and tailored to VON services—will transform the way we work. VON Connect will benefit clients and their families and create efficiencies that will allow us to serve more people who need us.
Why donate?
VON is a not-for-profit charity. While we do receive funding from provincial governments and other funders, we need further support to provide more people in our communities with access to essential and affordable home and community care. You can help us give the gift of companionship for the lonely, food for the hungry, comfort and dignity at the end of life, and care for the most vulnerable.
Currently, we are in the midst of a campaign to raise $10 million to purchase and implement VON Connect, an end-to-end home care software platform with a wide range of features that will make the best home and community care even better. We are grateful to all who choose to support this important initiative.
Please visit von.ca/donate to help bring our vision to life!
Dear Reader,
The VON Community Heath Guide has been developed to inform the local communities in Erie St. Clair about the health care services provided by VON in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton and Windsor-Essex. Our teams of dedicated staff are ready to help you find solutions that fit your needs as a client, caregiver or family member.
VON offers home care and community support services to enhance each client’s quality of life by providing them with the personal assistance and support needed to make them comfortable in their own home.
What sets VON apart in the home health care industry?
• VON is a registered charitable health care organization that cares for all ages in all stages of life,
• VON services are guided by a profound sense of respect for individuals and their right to make choices about and participate in their own health care journey. Our objective is to promote independence in the home. Clients and family members are encouraged to be partners in the planning and delivery of care,
• VON Canada is accredited by Accreditation Canada which gives you the peace of mind knowing that you and your family are receiving the highest quality of care available.
If you are already a VON client, thank you for being part of our family! We invite you to read this guide to learn about all of the services we offer in case we can assist you further.
If you are not a VON client we invite you to utilize this guide to determine how we can help you or your family, or share this information with someone you know that may need our services.
VON in Chatham-Kent
VON relies on the support of our community in the form of volunteers, individual donors and corporate donors to support our programs. If you are interested in helping in your community, please check out our volunteer information page in this guide for more information.
Our VON team looks forward to continuing to serve in our local communities.
Paula Vanthournout Director, Home & Community Care
VON Erie St. Clair
VON in Chatham-Kent
Since 1938, VON has been part of the fabric of the ChathamKent community. VON’s Community and Home Support programs allow people in our community to remain independent in their homes, always with a focus on dignity, respect and compassion. Through its variety of services, VON offers programming to children, adults, seniors and families. These services are described in detail in this Community Guide, which is intended to provide information for you, a loved one, or as someone who just wants to help their community through volunteering, becoming a donor, or as an advocate for the thousands VON serves each year.
VON Chatham-Kent operates through the efforts of over 200 volunteers, over 100 full and part time multidisciplinary staff, and through the support of the VON Chatham-Kent Community Corporation Board of Directors. While the site is supported through funding from the United Way of Chatham-Kent and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, it is the generosity of this community through individual, corporate and foundation donations that ensure that these staff and volunteers are able to provide the best possible services and programming to our communities across Chatham-Kent. For Chatham donations please call 519-352-5515.
Help us make a BIG impact!
When you support VON, you’re supporting quality, accessible, and affordable home and community care for all. You’re giving the gift of companionship for the lonely, food for the hungry, comfort and dignity at the end of life, and care for the most vulnerable.
Please, donate today
(Please print):
Name: Street:
City: Postal Code:
Donation Amount: q $25 q $50 q $75 q $100 q Other: $_______________
Payment Method: q Cheque q Visa q Mastercard q Other:
Please return completed form to: VON Chatham-Kent 100-190 Stanley Ave Chatham, ON N7M 3J9 Choose the gift that’s right for
Donate today by visiting von.ca or call 519-352-5515 for more information about making a gift!
Home and Community Care Services
VON Chatham-Kent home and community care services enable individuals to be cared for with compassion, with dignity and in the comforts of their own space. Available 24/7, services may be funded through insurance or government sources or can be privately purchased. Your VON team works together with you, your caregivers and a team of health care professionals to assess your health care needs and collaboratively develop a personalized plan of care. Every visit will consist of on on-going assessment, support for you and your family, encouragement and holistic care. Your VON team is highly trained and experienced in all aspects of community health care. In addition to in-home care, VON provides services throughout the community where it’s needed most.
Maintaining independence as we age is important to us all. Sometimes remaining active in our homes means needing that extra one-on-one support to live independently. At VON we deliver more than health care, we bring peace of mind. That means that when extra care is needed we are there with valuable services tailored to individual needs and budgets. Our trained staff of nurses, personal support workers and other support professionals are available to make up the difference between what is provided and what you need.
Nursing Services
Comfort
Our nursing services include:
• Shift Nursing
• Wound care
• Intravenous care
• Palliative care
• Pediatric care
• Ostomy care
• Mental health support
Visiting Nursing
• Acute post-hospitalization care
• In-school health care
• Chronic disease management
• Nursing Flex Care
• Peritoneal dialysis
The VON nurse works together with clients, caregivers and health care professionals to assess the individual’s health care needs and develop a personal plan of care to meet those needs. Visiting nurses provide service in wound care, diabetes management, medication management, health education and so much more.
Shift Nursing
VON shift nursing services provide nurses in 4-12 hour shifts to enable individuals to be cared for in the comfort of their own home.
Nursing Flex Clinic
Wallaceburg VON Flex Clinic is located in two dedicated rooms in the ambulatory care department of Chatham Kent Health Alliance Wallaceburg site. Services are provided by VON staff for those that are in that catchment area and are able to get to the clinic for care. Staff provide post-op and ongoing wound care, IV therapy, assessments, monitoring and health teaching. This provides convenient options for those who are ambulatory or working to receive the necessary treatments without the waits at the hospital and/ or medical offices.
VON Flex Clinic
325 Margaret Ave., Wallaceburg, ON N8A 2A7
Tel: 1-855-285-2990, press 1 for Nursing, 1 for Chatham
Home Support Services
Home support services are available to individuals living in their home, or a rest or retirement home when they require short or long term assistance with bathing, dressing, incontinence care, assistance with mobility, meal prep, post surgical care, palliative care and end of life care. This service also provides an opportunity for people to remain in their home longer.
The services are provided by certified Personal Support Workers (PSWs) that have obtained their education from a recognized college. The services are contracted through Ontario Health atHome which follows the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) guidelines for service.
If you would like more information on how these services can be obtained please contact VON at 1-855-285-2990, option 2 or email us at escintake@von.ca.
Respite Care
Respite care provides the break that caregivers need by allowing someone else to temporarily take over some of their care giving duties. Used on a regular basis, respite care helps prevent caregiver burnout by relieving some of the caregiver’s workload and stress.
Call 1-855-285-2990, option 2 or email us at escintake@von. ca, if you would like to know more about our respite care and we will take the time to understand your needs and explain how we can help.
eHomecare
eHomecare is an innovative strategy that uses existing and emerging technology to support people to live in their homes safely and receive the healthcare they require. The eHomecare model pairs a registered nurse (RN), working remotely while connected by technology to a PSW at the bedside of the patient. eHomecare provides overnight respite care, pediatric support and end of life support for patients in our community.
If you would like more information regarding eHomecare please call us at 1-855-285-2990, option 4 or email us at escintake@von.ca.
Comfort
Chronic Pain Management Assessment & Referral Program
Mission:
To utilize a client centered approach in developing a care plan for clients living with chronic pain, to facilitate access to appropriate health care services, to enhance quality of life through empowerment and education.
What to expect:
The Nurse Practitioner will review your pain history, diagnostic imaging, medications and the effects of past and present medical interventions. A focused physical examination will be done when necessary. These findings will allow them to provide you and your healthcare provider recommendations on evidence-based treatment options. Some examples of recommendations include medication changes, exercise programs, various therapies and referral to specialists.
The Counsellor facilitates Chronic Pain Self-Management Classes, as well as provides one on one counselling support to interested individuals. Counselling support includes
cognitive behavioural therapy, pain reprocessing therapy and other evidence-based therapies, to help patients improve their quality of life and cope with the difficulties of managing chronic pain.
Chronic pain affects all aspect of our lives which is why our program performs a comprehensive assessment, with attention to both mind and body.
The VON Chronic Pain Program is funded by Ontario Health and provides services in Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton.
Eligibility:
1 Experience non-cancer related pain
2 Not be considered end of life (palliative)
3 Experience chronic pain, greater than 3 consecutive months
Please have your primary health care provider or supporting community agency fax a referral to the VON Chronic Pain Program. Once your referral is received, you will receive a phone call within 1-2 weeks to arrange an appointment.
Appointments are arranged either in person or virtually at the following locations:
• VON Windsor Site, 190-250 Tecumseh Rd E., Windsor
• VON Chatham Kent Site, 100-190 Stanley Ave., Chatham
• VON Sarnia Lambton, 1705 London Line, Sarnia
Should you have any questions, you are welcome to call the office at 519-945-2931 or toll free at 1-855-419-5200 ext 4, Monday through Friday between the working hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 pm.
Supportive Care Volunteer Visiting Program
Our hospice or palliative care volunteer visitors are specially trained, caring volunteers who visit with clients and their families to support them through a life-limiting or endof-life journey.
Volunteer visitors offer compassion, a listening ear and emotional support to help improve the quality of life for those living with a serious life–limiting condition and for their families. They provide companionship and share activities or interests. They often become part of the respite support for caregivers needing a break from their roles.
Hospice or palliative volunteer visitors can visit clients in the community, in hospital or long-term care setting. The service is free of charge. Referrals can come from anyone at any stage in the illness journey.
Your Volunteer can be expected to do the following:
• Provide emotional support and companionship for you and your family.
• Visit or care for you while your caregiver runs errands and/or simply and importantly takes a break.
• Provide some degree of respite assistance for caregiver at home or in the hospital.
• Provide encouragement and assistance with client interests and activities.
• Assist with life story telling and legacy work.
Your Volunteer will not:
• Provide professional care, render medical treatment, or attempt to transfer you.
• Assist with or administer medication directly to you without consultation with the program coordinator.
• Do heavy housework or provide child care.
• Accept gifts or monetary remuneration - verbally expressing your appreciation or writing a note to VON Chatham-Kent Supportive Care about the volunteer is the best way to say thank you.
VON Chatham-Kent Supportive Care
Volunteers:
• Have a wide range of life experiences and skills that enable them to offer practical assistance and supportive care to meet the special needs arising out of the physical, emotion, spiritual, social, and economic stresses which are experienced when living with a life-threatening illness and during bereavement.
• Provide respite for caregivers 1 - 2 hours per week.
• Have successfully completed the Supportive Care Volunteer Training Program (40 hours).
• Are committed to continuing education in the field of supportive and hospice palliative care support.
• Support individuals and families from all cultural and spiritual backgrounds in a compassionate and supportive manner.
• Adhere to VON’s confidentiality policy.
• Undergo a police security check.
Who makes referrals and how?
Referrals can originate from healthcare professionals, community agencies, or family and friends. Call the program coordinator at 226-627-1460 for more information. The person being referred must consent to the referral.
What happens after a referral is made?
You will receive a telephone call from a VON ChathamKent staff member to complete the referral information and arrange for a visit in your home. Following the visit a supportive care volunteer may be assigned to you.
Volunteer Visiting
The focus of the Volunteer Visiting Program is to provide confidential one-to-one companionship and support to seniors or, persons with disabilities, persons who are ill and/ or lonely and isolated in the community through regularly scheduled visits or phone calls.
VON attempts to match volunteers and clients based on backgrounds, interests, personality types and geographical location. Visits are provided weekly or every two weeks and may last from one to two hours and take place when clients would otherwise be alone.
Clients and volunteers may participate in social outings, visits in the home and could include some assistance with activities such as shopping, banking, and letter writing.
Telephone Assurance
The focus of the Telephone Assurance & Safety Checks Program is to provide regularly scheduled telephone calls to people in the community who live alone such as seniors, or persons with disabilities who may be experiencing loneliness, isolation, and/or general fear for their safety.
If the person on service misses their scheduled phone call, a call is made to a contact person who agrees to check on this person at their home.
These calls act as safety checks for clients to help eliminate the fears and isolation that some people experience when they live alone.
The result is a sense of independence, well-being and an increased knowledge of home safety.
Program provides:
• Increase in social connectedness
• Support for caregivers
• Trained volunteers
• Community Presentations
• Education to client of home safety when needed
• Increased feeling of being safe
Program Coordinator, Volunteer Visiting & Telephone Assurance, SMART In-Home VON Chatham-Kent | Tel. 226-627-0348 | Fax:519-352-4533
Story Telling
As a partnership of VON Chatham-Kent, VON Sarnia Lambton, St. Joseph’s Hospice Resource Centre of Sarnia Lambton and the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Inc., we have developed,” My Life Through The Years…”, A Story Telling Tool. The tool was originally designed to be used by Palliative Hospice Volunteers to assist their clients tell their story and leave a legacy for their friends and family. It also provides a beneficial and enjoyable focus for both client and volunteer. It has since also been used for Senior’s Visiting Programs. The simple act of reviewing our lives can bring a fresh perspective to our present situation and bring meaning and purpose. The tool is a sturdy, easy to use binder with a clear front pocket cover to personalize. Inside you will find 5 tabs labeled with the following;
• Who Came Before Me
• Early Childhood Years
• Teen Years
• Young Adulthood
• Senior years
Behind each tab you will find various questions to spark ones memory of that particular time in their life.
Bereavement Support
Bereavement Support includes one to one bereavement sessions and our bereavement support groups available to those 18 years and older who have experienced the death of a loved one.
How does the grief support group work?
Each week, you have a chance to talk about your own grief experience and listen to the experience of others. By sharing our stories, we explore the events, thoughts and feelings associated with the death. This can be a powerful part of the healing process for many bereaved people.
Participating in a grief support group may:
• Provide a safe space for you to explore your grief in whatever way makes sense for you.
• Reduce your sense of isolation by providing an opportunity to connect with other bereaved people.
• Normalize your experience of grief by giving you a chance to hear from and share with others who are going through something similar.
• Give you information, skills, knowledge and coping strategies to assist you in learning how to live with your grief.
Who makes referrals and how?
Referrals can originate from healthcare professionals, community agencies, or family and friends. The person being referred must consent to the referral. To make an appointment, referral, or for more information, call 226-627-1460.
What happens after a referral is made?
You will receive a telephone call from a VON Chatham-Kent staff member to discuss your loss and to recommend best supports available to you.
SMART
(Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together)
VON SMART Exercise & Fall Prevention Program delivers ongoing fall risk intervention for seniors in the community by delivering FREE exercise programs and fall prevention education.
Who benefits from the VON SMART Exercise Program?
• Adults 55+
• Individuals who wish to learn about fall risk factors and how to reduce their chance of experiencing a fall
• Individuals who wish to maintain and/or improve their strength, balance, social connection and overall wellbeing
SMART in the Community
VON SMART group exercise classes are led by SMART Certified Instructors and take place weekly in community locations near you! Classes are offered at various intensities and modifications are provided to accommodate all participants. Specialty classes for individuals living with chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Brain Injury/ Stroke are also available.
SMART Rest and Retirement
VON SMART group exercise classes are offered within various retirement homes throughout Chatham-Kent. Classes are provided at no cost to residents. Class components include warm up and cool down, cardiovascular training, strength training, balance training, flexibility and mindfulness.
SMART In-Home
VON SMART In-Home program is completed in the participants home. This programming is designed for individuals 55+ and is best suited for participants who may not benefit from traditional activity programs due to health issues, mobility restrictions, lack of transportation, confidence, chronic disease or other reasons. Participants are taught 15 simple, yet progressive exercises that help to improve their mobility and encourage independence while performing activities of daily living.
*Please note: Registration is required for all VON SMART classes.
SMART Virtual Exercise Program (VEP)
VON SMART Virtual Exercise Program (VEP) are available virtually both online and offline. Live, interactive exercise classes are offered using Zoom, where participants join from the safety and comfort of their home. For individuals who have no internet access, the VON SMART VEP offers free tablets which contain a library of exercise classes and guided fall prevention presentations. For more information call 519-254-4866 ext 6239
Strengthen
Kids’ Circle
VON Chatham-Kent Kids’ Circle Program provides supportive care to children and teens aged 4 to 18 who are facing a lifethreatening illness themselves, the life threatening illness of a loved one, or who have experienced the death of a loved one. Support is offered through age-appropriate activities and education that help the child grieve in a safe and healthy manner while giving them the tools needed for normal, healthy grieving.
Strengthen
The Kids’ Circle Program is centered on the unique needs of each child and the focus is to provide one-to-one and group support for children and teens in an environment where they can feel safe to share their feelings. Visits generally take place at the child’s school but can also take place in hospitals, homes or the child-friendly space at the VON office. There is no limit to the number of support sessions and referrals are accepted from any source. There is no fee for this service.
To make an appointment, referral, or for more information, contact 226-627-1460
Program
When children and youth are hungry, they can’t focus, and when students can’t focus it is challenging to concentrate and learn. That’s why the Ontario Student Nutrition Program (OSNP) provides funding and support to over 90 schools and 27,000 students in Chatham-Kent for nourishing snack and meal programs; to ensure no child has to learn on an empty stomach. Programs are stigma free and universal in nature, meaning they are open to all students, regardless of socioeconomic background.
Student nutrition programs extend beyond filling hungry bellies, they incorporate educational objectives, community building, leadership opportunities and linkages with local food systems. They provide a positive start to the day and safe spaces for students to connect with their peers while supporting students’ physical and mental well-being.
There is emphasis on serving food that is healthy, safe, culturally appropriate and locally-sourced, when possible.
”At our school, we have witnessed the positive impact of the extra snack items, specifically whole grain and protein options, provided this school year. These nutritious snacks have not only contributed to maintaining a focused and energized learning environment but have also improved overall student well-being. Students appear more engaged in their learning, and we appreciate the effort to
Strengthen
Strengthen
prioritize their health and academic success. The OSNP program has been instrumental in fostering a positive and nourishing atmosphere within our school community.”
- Elementary School Principal
The Ontario Student Nutrition Program (OSNP):
• streamlines the distribution of funding and resources to schools
• fosters partnerships that enhance our menu and direct delivery programming
• fundraises and generates resources to provide programs with adequate support
• provides learning opportunities for schools around effective program delivery, food safety, nutrition and menu planning, engagement strategies and more OSNP receives some government funding to support programs, however, programs would not be possible without support from generous community donors, grantors and volunteers.
For more information about OSNP or how to become involved, please contact osnp@von.ca
Volunteer Opportunities
Are you looking for a fulfilling volunteer opportunity in the Chatham-Kent area? Choose to Volunteer for VON Chatham-Kent and become a proud VON Volunteer!
Volunteers enrich the lives of those they help by providing a warm smile and a friendly face. At VON Chatham-Kent, volunteers are valued, respected and appreciated! Make a Difference in someone’s life today!
To learn more about these opportunities visit www.von.ca or call 226-627-0348 or Fax: 519-352-4533.
Volunteer Opportunities at VON Chatham-Kent:
• Charity Bingo
• Community Corporation Board of Directors
• Fundraising/Special Event
• SMART fitness instructor
• Supportive Care Program
• Telephone Assurance
• Volunteer Visiting Program
• Kids’ Circle
VON Erie St. Clair Directory of Services
Chatham Kent Sarnia Lambton Windsor Essex
VON Chatham-Kent Site
190 Stanley Ave., Suite 100
Chatham, ON N7M 3J9
Phone 519-352-5515
Fax 519-352-2466
VON Sarnia-Lambton Site
1705 London Line
Sarnia, ON N7W 1B2
Phone 519-542-2310
Fax 519-542-1160
VON Windsor-Essex Site
4520 Rhodes Drive, Suite 400
Windsor, ON N8W 5C2
Phone......................................................................................... 519-254-4866
Fax ................................................................................................ 519-254-4184
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