VON Erie St. Clair – Chatham-Kent Site Community Health Guide

Community Health Guide

Your source for VON Canada programs and services in Chatham-Kent.

Dear Reader,

The Community Health Guide has been developed to inform the local community of the health care services provided by VON Chatham-Kent. Our team of dedicated and passionate staff are ready to help you find solutions that fit your needs as a client or caregiver.

VON offers home care, personal support, 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 not-for-profit health care organization and registered charity that cares for all ages and stages of life. VON believes that all people have the right to quality home health care regardless of their ability to pay;

• VON services are guided by a profound sense of respect for individuals and their right to make choices about and participate in their own care. Personal values and cultural traditions are considered when a plan of care is developed 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; Already a VON client? Thank you for being a part of our family. We invite you to read this guide to learn about all the services we offer in case we can assist you further.

If you are not a VON client we invite you to read this guide to find out how we can help your family, or pass it on to someone you know that may need our services.

How can you help your community? VON relies on the support of our community in the form of volunteers, individual donors and corporate donors. Please refer to Volunteer Programs and Support VON in this guide for more details.

We look forward to serving you and the Chatham-Kent community.

Paula Vanthournout Senior Manager, Home and Community Care VON Erie St Clair

Our Mission and Vision

LIVE EVERYDAY

VON Canada has been pioneering care at home for over 125 years. Today, we are a highly-trusted non-profit organization that works with our clients, employees, volunteers and partners to provide innovative clinical, personal and social support to people who want the comfort and peace of mind of living in their own homes and communities.

OUR VISION

Every life lived to the fullest.

OUR MISSION

We help people live in their homes and communities by delivering the caring support that they and their families need.

Our vision and mission reflect our commitment to providing care that helps make every day as full of meaning and hope as possible. As a registered charity and not-for-profit corporation, our business is all about the difference we make in people’s lives. This commitment sets us apart: everything we do is focused on helping people to live their best lives possible. Every day.

We believe that everyone has the right to care regardless of their circumstances. That’s why VON Chatham-Kent works hard to raise donations that are used to bring valued care to our clients and their families.

Our values help guide how we work as a team and with our clients and families:

OUR VALUES

Respect – we support others honestly, openly and fairly. Compassion – we listen and serve with sensitivity, empathy and concern.

Excellence – we commit to everyday improvement in all that we do.

We strongly believe that clients and their families have the right to make informed decisions about their care, and we encourage them to become partners in both the planning and delivery of their care. Personal and cultural values are part of that, and we ensure that every Plan of Care we develop responds to the needs and concerns of our clients and their families.

With the help of our funders, donors, volunteers and committed staff, we offer a mosaic of programs and services across Chatham-Kent that provide real hands-on help to seniors, children, youth and adults who need extra support. Together with our clients and their families, we contribute to the health and improved quality of life of Canadians in their homes and communities, where they want to be.

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 ChathamKent 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.

Giving to VON Chatham-Kent

By becoming a VON donor, you will have a direct impact on the lives of children, individuals and families across ChathamKent. Your donation stays local, and 100% of your gift is directed to ensuring excellence in direct programming to clients.

There are many ways to give! Become a monthly donor today to ensure sustainability in donor funds for programming enhancements and operation. A gift of just 10$ a month can ensure that a child who is living with a life threatening illness is able to take part in programs like Kids’ Circle, giving them the gift of compassion and peer support. To become a monthly donor, or to learn more about the impact of giving to VON Chatham-Kent, contact us at 519-352-5515, or visit our website at www.von.ca

LEAVE A LEGACY

By naming VON as a beneficiary in your will, you are leaving a legacy of compassion and comfort for so many in our community. To learn more about VON’s legacy program, please contact us at 519-352-5515 today.

Nursing Programs

VON Chatham-Kent Nursing Services enable individuals to be cared for with compassion, with dignity and the comforts of their own space. Available 24/7, services can be privately purchased, or may be funded through insurance or government sources. Your VON nurse 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-going assessment, support for you and your family, encouragement, and holistic care. Your VON nurse is highly trained, experienced in all aspects of community health care. In addition to in-home care, VON provides nursing services throughout the community, where its needed most.

Our nursing services include:

• Wound care

• Intravenous care

• Palliative care

• Acute post-hospitalization care

• Pediatric care

• Nursing Flex Clinic

• Mental health supports

• In-school health care

• Chronic disease management

• Ostomy care

• Peritoneal dialysis

Personal

Support

Services/

Home Support Services

VON Personal Support Services are provided by trained and certified Personal Support Workers (PSWs), enhancing an individual’s quality of life by providing assistance with personal care and support needed to make them comfortable in a variety of settings, which may include home, school, rest, and retirement homes.

Nursing Services

Extra support for you or a loved one

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.

Visiting Nursing

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. VON shift nursing services can be purchased privately or may be funded through insurance or government sources if eligible.

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 great convenient options for those who are ambulatory or working to receive necessary treatments without the waits of hospital and or medical offices.

VON Flex Clinic

325 Margaret Ave

Wallaceburg ON

N8A 2A7

Tel 519-352-5515

Personal Support Services

VON Personal Support Services are provided by trained and certified Personal Support Workers (PSWs) enhancing an individual’s quality of life by providing assistance with personal care and support needed to make them comfortable in their own home. This service also provides an opportunity for people to remain in their home longer.

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 4, or email us at escintake@von. ca, if you would like to know more about VON Private Care Services 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 an 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.

Chronic Pain Program

Mission:

To utilize a multidisciplinary team approach to develop and implement an individualized care plan for clients living with chronic pain, to facilitate access to appropriate health care services, to enhance quality of life through empowerment

The VON Chronic Pain Program is an Ontario Health funded program that provides services to people who are experiencing chronic non cancer pain and provide them with pain management options and resources within their community. This program provides services in Windsor-Essex, SarniaLambton and Chatham-Kent.

Chronic pain affects all aspect of our lives, both physically and mentally. That is why the Chronic Pain Program is diverse, with different disciplines such as nursing and social work services.

The Nurse Practitioner will review your pain history, your completed diagnostic imaging, your 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 evidence based treatment options. Some examples of recommendations include medication changes, exercise

programs, various therapies, referral to specialists and specialized procedures.

The Social Worker facilitates Chronic Pain Self-Management Classes as well asprovides one on one counselling support to individuals interested in cognitive behavioural therapy, an evidence based therapy to help patients cope with the difficulties of managing chronic pain.

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 virtually and at the following locations:

• VON Windsor-Essex 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 or inquiries you are welcome to call the Program Intake line 519-945-2931 or toll free at 1-855-419-5200 option 4, Monday through Friday between the working hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 pm.

VON Workplace Wellness

Our workplace wellness programs are customized to meet the needs of your business.

A healthier workplace leads to greater employee satisfaction and well being, decreased benefit costs to your organization, increased productivity. Who wouldn’t want to work for a supportive and productive workplace?

Workplace wellness programs can save you money and return up to $8.00 for every dollar invested according to the Industrial Accident Association. VON can help you design the right program for your workplace. Our nurses have the knowledge and expertise as well as the necessary equipment to start your business on the road to success.

Our programs cover an array of topics such as:

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•

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Cholesterol screening

Blood pressure screening

Glucose screening for diabetes

Smoking cessation

• Flu vaccination

• Mask fit testing

If you would like more information on how we can support your wellness initiatives contact us at 1-855-285-2990.

Supportive Care Volunteer Visiting Program

VON Chatham-Kent is dedicated to the provision of compassionate care and support to individuals facing a life threatening illness and to promoting a coordinated interdisciplinary program of supportive and hospice palliative care in the community. The Supportive Care Program also includes Hospice Palliative Care. It is the active, expert, gentle care, supports and support of individuals living with a serious life-threatening illness.

• It aims to support and improve quality of life for those living with a serious life– threatening condition and their families.

• It includes the individual and his or her family in planning treatment and care, to enable them to make choices based on knowledge and understanding.

• It supports family and friends through caregiving and bereavement.

• It offers social, emotional and spiritual support to individuals and families through members of an interdisciplinary team including physicians, nurses, social workers, home care nursing, home support, Chatham-Kent House staff and volunteers, and other disciplines.

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 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 probably 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 support in individuals’ homes; at ChathamKent Health Alliance; at the Chatham-Kent Hospice; in community care facilities; or through one of VON’s grief support programs.

• Provide respite for caregivers.

• 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 individuals and families from all cultural and spiritual backgrounds in a compassionate and supportive manner.

• Sign a pledge of confidentiality.

• 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 519-354-0430 Ext 291 or fax information to our confidential fax at 519-352-4533. 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 Chatham-Kent 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 6 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 in our family. 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 & 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. Call the program coordinator at 519-354-0430 Ext 291 or fax information to our confidential fax at 519-352-4533. 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 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 maintian and/or improve their strength, balance, social connection and overall wellbeing

SMART in the Community

VON SMART Group Classes led by SMART Certified Instructors take place weekly in community locations near you! Onehour, High/Med/Low Intensity sessions for older adults and seniors. Specialty classes for individuals suffering from 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 Rest and Retirement Homes throughout Chatham-Kent. Hour long sessions are provided at no cost to residents. Class components include warm up and cool down, cardiovascular conditioning, strength training, balance and mindfulness.

SMART In-Home

VON SMART Certified Volunteer lead one-on-one training sessions are offered in your home. This programming is designed for individuals 55+ who have barriers to traditional exercise groups such as low mobility, lack of transportation, limited financial resources, and poor health. Clients are taught 15 simple, yet progressive exercises that help to improve mobility and safely moving through activities of daily living.

*Please note: Registration is required for all VON SMART classes.

SMART Virtual Exercise Program (VEP)

VON SMART group and 1:1 exercise programs are offered virtually both online and offline.  Live, interactive exercise sessions are offered using the Zoom platform where clients participate 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 sessions and guided fall prevention presentations.  For more information 519-254-4866 Ext 6239

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.

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 519-354-0430 x 291.

Ontario Student Nutrition Program

The Ontario Student Nutrition Program (OSNP) in the Southwest Region helps provide school-age children and youth with access to nutritious meals and /or snacks in schools and community locations so that they are engaged in their learning, experience a sense of belonging at school, and develop healthy eating habits.

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services provides seed funding to fourteen lead agencies who oversee program administration and grants.  The VON, Windsor-Essex is the Lead Agency for the southwest region, working with eight Community Partnerships to support 450+ programs spanning 10 counties including:

• Grey-Bruce

• Sarnia-Lambton

• Windsor-Essex

• London-Middlesex

• Chatham-Kent

• Huron-Perth

• Oxford and

• Elgin

Program delivery is supported by volunteers, and local fundraising is an important part of the OSNP.  For more information, or if you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please visit www.osnp.ca, www.von.ca or contact your local lead agency.

Volunteer Opportunities

Are you looking for a fulfilling volunteer opportunity in the Chatham-Kent area? Choose to Volunteer for VON ChathamKent 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

Why Give to VON?

Charitable Giving

Has VON touched your life by providing support to you or a loved one?

Imagine what life in Canada would be like without VON’s caring nurses, volunteers and other service providers. Would you like to ensure the VON is able to continue to offer programs that are crucial to people’s ability to live independently and remain in their own homes and communities?

Your charitable gift to VON Chatham-Kent will directly support men, women, children and families in need through high quality home and community healthcare services. We rely on donations and community support to develop and maintain our existing services; serve clients who cannot afford to pay; and develop new services in response to the ever-changing needs of our community. Every gift stays in our community to help someone in need of our help.

Bequest to VON

Canadians leave about 41,000 charitable bequests in their wills. Many choose to name VON. These generous and thoughtful gifts are a reflection of people’s values and belief in the programs and services that VON provides. VON depends on this generosity to help fund vital programs and services. Including a gift to a charity in your will is one way that ordinary and extraordinary people can make a significant difference in the lives of others. Make a difference for VON Chatham-Kent!

Please keep VON in mind when you are reviewing your charitable giving or call our Fund Development Coordinator at 519-352-5515 to learn more!

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