VON Oxford
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!
Managers’ Message
Dear Reader,
The Community Health Guide is a resource for all the programs and services that VON provides to the Oxford community. VON coordinates different kinds of home, health, and other support services with the objective of providing clients with the assistance they need throughout their life. Whether you are a client or a caregiver, our staff are dedicated in finding the most appropriate ways to meet your unique needs and to enrich our clients’ quality of life.
What sets VON apart in the home health care industry?
• As a registered not-for-profit health care organization and registered charity, VON serves people of all ages and stages of life, and holds the belief that everyone has the right to access quality care despite their capacity to pay.
• VON is grounded on the value of respecting individuals’ autonomy and is the core to the programs and services that we offer. We aim to promote independence and encourage the client and their family to be involved in their own care.
• Accreditation Canada has accredited VON Canada proving our commitment to providing the best quality of care to our clients and their families.
If you are already registered as a VON client, this guide will inform you of all of our other services which you may you may be interested in acquiring.
If you are not a VON client, you may find this guide helpful in directing you to ways that could help with your concerns or others you know.
The VON is grateful to our volunteers, individual donors, and corporate donors for their generous support that breathes life into all of our work. If you are interested in helping your community, please refer to pages 27 and 28.
Here’s to our Oxford community!
Eric Nigh
Manager of Home and Community Care, Family Supports Program
Robin Kish
Manager of Home and Community Care, Community Support Services
Jennifer Besley, RPN
Manager of Home and Community Care, Assisted Living
Janine Jackson
Manager of Home and Community Care, Sakura House Residential Hospice
Adult Day Programs
Our Adult Day Programs (ADPs) provide social, recreational and therapeutic activities for seniors and individuals with a disability, in a safe and supervised environment.
Our Adult Day Programs give individuals a chance to connect with peers while taking part in a wide range of enjoyable activities led by staff that are specially trained in therapeutic recreation.
We serve people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, cognitive impairment, chronic illness or physical impairments. Activities are designed to be accessible to each participant by focusing on their abilities and not their disabilities. Activities could include exercise classes, cards and games, arts and crafts, music and cooking, all of which can be adapted to the specific needs of the patient.
Our Personal Support Workers (PSWs) can assist with toileting, medication and feeding if needed.
Adult Day Programs offer caregivers the opportunity for daytime respite, knowing their loved one is in a safe environment taking part in stimulating, social activities. The daily fee includes a hot lunch, refreshments, and all activities.
Our Adult Day Programs are available in Woodstock and Tillsonburg from Monday to Friday, and in Ingersoll on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Adult Day Programs –Life After Stroke
This program gives members a place to continue to challenge themselves and to recover. It is a supportive group setting that is rehabilitation-based with a focus on recreation, health and exercise, and friendships. The staff are supported by the Community Stroke Rehabilitation Team.
The program length will be different for each person depending on his or her needs. When completed, people can expect to be connected with other community programs and services.
To be eligible for this program you must have received rehabilitation services from the Community Stroke Rehabilitation Team and/or the Intensive Rehabilitation Outpatient Program at the Woodstock Hospital.
The program is run in Woodstock on Fridays. The cost for the day includes all meals, snacks and activities.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Assisted Living / Supports for Daily Living
Our Assisted Living / Supports for Daily Living program provides supports that help people stay in their own homes longer.
Some people need more support than home care can provide, but don’t require the medical monitoring or supervision of long-term care.
Our Assisted Living / Supports for Daily Living program provides a range of non-medical assisted living services to high-risk seniors with complex needs in order for them to stay living independently in the comfort of their own home.
We offer personal hygiene care, such as bathing and hair care, assistance with the routine activities of daily living, such as dressing/undressing, toileting and eating and essential homemaking services and safety reassurance checks.
Visits can be scheduled for multiple times throughout the day, during the evenings, or weekends according to the recipient’s needs.
For more information, contact main office 519-539-1231 or central intake 1-888-866-7518.
Therapeutic Bathing Program
A therapeutic bath is available by appointment at our facility for those who have difficulty bathing at home. We offer a technologically advanced accessible tub and professional staff who provide our clients with assistance. This program is open to our Adult Day Program clients or for members of the community at our Woodstock and Tillsonburg sites.
Baths can be scheduled by appointment Monday through Friday.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Blood Pressure Clinics
Measure your blood pressure at our community-based blood pressure clinics lead by our VON volunteers. This drop-in style program is free and open to all. Volunteers can assist and teach participants how to monitor their own blood pressure and how to calibrate their device at home. Our clinics also offer helpful educational materials and information about how to be more heart-healthy.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Caregiver Supports
We provide resources and support for caregivers, helping you take care of yourself while you take care of your loved one.
Being a caregiver for a loved one is a rewarding and valuable role, but it can also be stressful, isolating and at times, overwhelming. We offer resources to support you on your journey, to encourage self-care and prevent caregiver burnout.
We offer one-to-one support, educational and training resources, and can advise you of other resources and services available to support caregivers in your area including the comprehensive Caregiver Exchange site.
Our caregiver peer support groups allow you to share feelings, problems, ideas and information with other caregivers who are in similar circumstances.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
FAMILY SUPPORTS
Host Respite Program
The Host program supports children and adults with developmental disabilities to provide overnight respite. The program matches individuals to a Host Provider who offers overnight support in their home. Host Providers mainly provide weekend support, one or two per month.
Familyhome Program
The Familyhome program is a residential program that serves 30 adults with developmental disabilities. Individuals live with Familyhome providers who provide support and a home for them. This is a highly individualized program that develops a plan with each person that we support according to their needs, goals, interests, and vision.
Special Services at Home
The SSAH program was developed to support children with disabilities and their families. The SSAH program provides support to children with developmental and/or physical disabilities and respite to their families. The program supports families to have a break from the demands of caregiving and provides meaningful opportunities for their children.
Passport Program
The Passport program provides support to adults with a developmental disability. The Passport program provides respite support to families and community participation supports for adults. The program helps to sustain our clients’ growth and development opportunities. For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Home Help
Provides essential housekeeping services for seniors and adults with disabilities.
Isolated seniors, seniors recovering from surgery, frail seniors, and people with permanent physical disabilities are eligible for Home Help services. The program helps people remain in their homes as long as possible, reducing the need for untimely admittance to long-term care.
Light cleaning services may include vacuuming, dusting, mopping floors, cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, and changing bed linens. The program also assists with laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping, and errand pickups.
Clients are assigned a home helper who can visit weekly, biweekly, or monthly, based on the client’s needs. There is an hourly nominal fee for the program.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Home At Last
Home At Last is a free program that provides services aimed to assist eligible older adults or people with complex needs get home and settle in safely once they are discharged from hospital. The program coordinates with clients to arrange discharge plans that meet their unique needs and to guarantee a safe transition back home. Included in the program are transportation from hospital to home; errands such as grocery shopping, medication and medical equipment pickup; in-house assistance like essential laundry, light housekeeping, meal preparation, a home safety check, and personal hygiene care. The Home At Last program also gives clients the opportunity to learn about additional community supports available should they need them.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Let’s Go Home (LEGHO)
Let’s Go Home (LEGHO) is an inclusive program aiming to help seniors and adults with disabilities when being discharged home from hospital. Referrals to this program come directly from hospitals. When accepted, LEGHO will provide patients with access to multiple free community support services for up to 6 weeks encouraging independence and preventing hospital readmission.
The LEGHO program includes:
1. A personal Community Support Planner to navigate the services available and includes weekly check-ins and follow ups.
2. At least two (2) additional services from the following:
• Home At Last
• 14 free meals from Meals on Wheels
• 2 free round-trip rides to medical/follow up appointments
• 3 free hours of Home Help
• Wellness visits from Oxford Community Paramedicine paramedics
• Caregiver support for up to 6 weeks post patient hospital discharge with the ability to refer to more specific and intensive supports.
3. Navigation and support with the transition out of the LEGHO program. For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Meals on Wheels
Our meal delivery service provides meals to a range of clients, including older adults, those recovering from illness or surgery, people with disabilities, and/or those who are not able to do their own grocery shopping and/or cook for themselves. There is a nominal fee per meal. Meal delivery is free of charge and provides both nutrition and a safety check at the client’s doorstep.
Our Meals on Wheels hot meal program offers hot meal delivery over the lunch hour right to the door by friendly, caring volunteers—making it easier for members of our community to have a nutritious meal without having to leave their homes in Tavistock and Woodstock.
Our Meals on Wheels frozen meals are a healthy option that provides a complete frozen home-style meal option to clients on a bi-weekly basis. Frozen meals can be picked up or delivered free of charge. Clients are given several frozen meal options to choose from and special dietary options are available to order.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
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, including Oxford County where 38 secondary and elementary schools are supported and reaches upwards of 14,000 students daily.
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.
Overnight Respite Program
Our Overnight Respite Program provides our clients the opportunity to receive overnight respite care in a home-like setting.
This program is for clients with complex needs such as frail elderly or adults living with a disability, Alzheimer’s disease and other progressive cognitive disorders, dementia or with acquired brain injury.
Clients will receive personal assistance from our trained staff and enjoy a variety of activities during an overnight stay. Meals and snacks are included.
Our overnight respite service means caregivers can rest assured that their loved one is well taken care of and can get a break from their caregiving responsibilities.
Available Tuesdays and Wednesdays in our Woodstock site for clients currently attending the Adult Day Program in Woodstock, Ingersoll or Tillsonburg. The cost includes all meals, snacks and activities.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
SMART® Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together
The VON SMART® Exercise Program is a safe and effective exercise and falls prevention Program designed specifically for older adults. Classes are led by knowledgeable SMART® trained Instructors and are designed to help prevent falls while maintaining independence at home.
SMART® classes are offered in various settings across Oxford County including Community settings and Retirement Homes and consist of:
• A thorough warm up
• A cardiovascular component
• A cool-down
• Strength training exercises
• Balance training
• Stretching
For more information, contact main office 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Supportive Care Services
Bereavement:
Sharing your experience of loss can be a powerful part of the healing process. We offer individual and group bereavement support that allows you to connect with others. All Supportive Care Programs are free of charge.
Whether you’ve experienced the death of a parent, a child, a spouse or a pet, our compassionate and specially trained volunteers can help you and your family through the grieving process.
Benefits of VON Oxford Supportive Care Programs:
• Free of charge
• Learn coping techniques
• Education on the grieving process
• Compassionate and judgement-free peer support
• Facilitated by specially trained volunteers
• Programs are offered throughout Oxford County multiple times a year
VON Grief Care
Grief Care serves as a starting point to assist individuals in navigating life after the death of a loved one.
Journey Through Grief
A six-week closed-group program for adults 18+. Following the completion of this program participants are invited to join the Caring Circle drop-in group for continued support as needed.
Individual Bereavement Support
Grief is as unique as the person experiencing it. Individual grief support sessions are scheduled and directed according to the needs of the bereaved. Visits can take place in the client’s home, on the phone or virtually.
Kids’ and Teens’ Circle
A multi-week program providing supportive care for grieving children ages 5-12 and teens ages 13-17. This evidence-based program helps your child navigate life and change after the death of a loved one through age appropriate activities, learning to deal with big emotions, coping techniques and conversation. These programs offer youth an opportunity to connect with others who may have experienced a similar loss, nurturing unique connections. Following completion of the programs additional support is available as needed.
Regional Grief Support Groups for Specific Deathrelated Losses
VON offers four support groups held monthly over Zoom, for individuals grieving specific losses, including: Death by Suicide, Addiction-related Death, Death of a Child, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).
Grief and Support Lending Library
The Sakura House library carries over 400 resources for all ages, to support you on your grief journey. This is a free lending library, open to the public.
For more information, contact the main office 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Hospice:
Individual Hospice Visiting
Our specially-trained hospice volunteers are matched with clients, and their families, who are navigating a life-limiting diagnosis or end-of-life journey. These compassionate volunteers provide emotional, social, spiritual and respite support in the client’s home or in partnership with local healthcare facilities.
Sakura House Residential Hospice
Sakura House, located in Woodstock Ontario, is Oxford County’s only residential hospice and is operated by the
Victorian Order of Nurses, Oxford Branch (VON Oxford). It is a palliative care facility where 24-hour end-of-life care is provided by a skilled team of healthcare professionals with the assistance of professionally trained volunteers at no cost to patients or their families.
Sakura (‘SAH-ku-ra’ or ‘sah-KUH-ra’), the Japanese word for cherry blossom, symbolizes an annual spring celebration of the shifting seasons. This powerful image evokes the bittersweet undercurrent of past seasons and the fleeting nature of human existence. The cherry blossom reminds us of the fragility and impermanence of life and seemed the perfect symbol for our hospice.
Sakura House is a home where life is celebrated, fear and pain are eased, and families gather in comfort and peace to share memories and create new ones. The specialized palliative care provides a compassionate environment focused on living fully in comfort and dignity until the end of life. Sakura House feels and functions like a home. The focus of care is the patient and his/her family.
Patients can self-refer or can be referred by family members, health and social agencies, medical professionals or clergy. The referrals will be coordinated through the Ontario Health at Home to help make the planning and transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
A specialized Hospice Palliative Care Physician is available 24/7 who is responsible for expert management of pain and symptoms and end-of-life issues. They are in house daily as needed and on-call. Along with our physicians, Sakura House Hospice has a variety of specialized staff available to support patients and their families: Registered Nursing Staff (RNs and RPNs), Personal Support Workers (PSWs), Social Workers.
For more information, contact 519-537-8515 or visit vonsakurahouse.com
Transportation Program
VON Oxford offers reliable transportation to medical appointments, rehabilitation, Adult Day Programs, shopping, and social related trips. We have an accessible van we can use to best accommodate your needs.
Requests are based on the availability of drivers and vehicles with medical rides taking priority. Volunteer drivers are also able to use their own vehicles to provide service. For existing clients, a notice of 3-5 business days is required when booking a ride. New clients should register 7-10 business days prior to the appointment. Rates are determined by distance travelled. For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Volunteer Visiting
The focus of Volunteer Visiting is companionship and friendly support for seniors and adults with a disability. We connect our trained and carefully screened volunteers with community members who are lonely, socially isolated or have trouble making social connections due to failing health or limited mobility.
We assess the needs and consider the preferences, interests and geography of the client and then make every effort to identify an appropriate volunteer match in order to foster the development of a meaningful relationship.
In-person weekly visits are the goal, but in some cases “visits” are conducted by telephone based on client preference or for those who are on the waitlist to be matched with an in-person visitor. Volunteer Visiting is free of charge. Self-referrals and referrals from all other sources are accepted.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Telephone Reassurance
Volunteers perform safety checks on seniors and adults with disabilities living alone through phone calls.
Volunteers call at regular, pre-arranged times. If the client doesn’t answer their scheduled call, staff reaches out to the client’s emergency contact person who goes to check on the client in their home.
For more information, contact the main office at 519-539-1231 or central intake at 1-888-866-7518.
Give a gift unlike any other
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: $25 $50 $75 $100 Other: $
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Please return completed form to:
VON Oxford 550 Ingersoll Avenue Woodstock, ON N4S 4Y2
Charitable # 119284776 RR 0001
Choose the gift that’s right for you!
Donate instantly by visiting www.von.ca or call 519-539-1231 for more information.
VON Oxford Charitable Registration #119284776 RR 0001
Thank you!
