A new Paramedicine for Long Term Care Program is expanding to Perth County.
Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece says the expanded pilot project is fully funded by the province.
“Our government is fixing Ontario’s long-term care system and improving the care seniors receive,” said Pettapiece. “Local seniors will experience real improvements because of this expansion."
“We know that waiting lists for long-term care are too long, and the government has been working quickly to expand the number of spaces,” Pettapiece added. “But many seniors need more care immediately. The Community Paramedicine Program will provide high-quality care from the comfort of their home while they wait for a bed in long-term care.”
The program works alongside primary care and home and community care to provide services to eligible seniors including access to health services through in-home and remote methods .
Those could be online supports, non-emergency home visits and in-home testing procedures, ongoing monitoring of vital signs to prevent escalation of chronic medical conditions, and assessments, referrals, diagnostic procedures, and point-of care testing.
Early feedback from participating communities has shown fewer hospital admissions and better integration with primary care.
The expansion is part of a larger $82.5 million investment over three years to bring Paramedicine to Perth County and 21 other communities.
In December 2020, Ontario launched the long-term care Staffing Plan, which centers around the province’s commitment to delivering an average of four hours of care per resident per day.
To meet this commitment, the government is investing $4.9 billion over the next four years to help create 27,000 new positions for PSWs and nurses in long-term care. This funding will also support a 20 per cent increase in direct care time by allied health professionals including physiotherapists and social workers over the next two years.
“This program will help address capacity issues in our long-term care homes and provide better health outcomes,” Pettapiece concluded. “Home care will continue be a valued service for many local seniors.”
