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 Cobourg, ON – October 13, 2022 – Today, Northumberland Paramedics Chief Susan Brown was joined by MPP David Piccini, County Deputy Warden Mandy Martin, and community member Bruce Gilley to celebrate the official launch of full-scale operations for the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program for Northumberland.

This program offers innovative home-based care to eligible seniors throughout the county, including:

  • 24-7 access to in-home and remote health services;
  • non-emergency home visits;
  • in-home testing procedures, such as blood pressure readings, 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs), oxygen saturation tests, blood draws, blood glucose readings, weight measurements, and more testing procedures to come;
  • ongoing monitoring of vital signs for chronic medical conditions; and,
  • assessments, referrals, diagnostic procedures and point-of-care testing.

These preventative care services are available to seniors who live in Northumberland County that are either on the waitlist for long-term care, have been assessed as eligible for long-term care but are not yet on a waitlist, or are soon to be eligible for long-term care.

The program is delivered by a team of dedicated certified paramedics who have completed an additional 100 hours of specialized training in areas such as geriatrics, comorbidities, lab work, point-of-care testing, medication interactions, mental health, palliative care and blood draws.

In February 2022, the Province announced $7.5 million in one-time funding to support the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program until March 2024. The program launched initial services in May and has been progressively expanding intake.

The program has now reached full-scale operations and Northumberland Paramedics is inviting community members who would like to refer themselves or someone they care for (a family member, neighbour, friend, etc.) to the program to call client services at 1-833-718-1942 or complete the referral form on our website at Northumberland.ca/CPprogram.

Health care partners can also refer their patients to the program using the OCEAN eReferral System or by fax at 905-373-8567.

“The Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program offers an innovative way to improve the delivery of essential healthcare services in Northumberland. By delivering personalized, preventative care directly to seniors’ homes, this program is positively impacting the lives of seniors and their families, and strengthening the local healthcare system.” Mandy Martin, Deputy Warden, Northumberland County

“The Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program offers tremendous value to our community. Through this program, we are able to make healthcare services more easily accessible to vulnerable community members — improving the quality of life for senior residents and their families, while also helping to manage the high demand for these care services from hospitals, clinics, emergency services and long-term care facilities in Northumberland. We look forward to welcoming new patients as we continue to expand the delivery of these services across the county.” Susan Brown, Chief of Northumberland Paramedics

“My experience with the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program has been extremely positive. The medical checkups I have received through the program have provided me with a sense of security, and reduced my reliance on 9-1-1 services. The Community Paramedics have a very prompt response time. It is clear that they love what they do and wish to perform at their best. I appreciate the connections I have formed with paramedics through this program.” Bruce Gilley, Patient, Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Program

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For more information:
Kate Campbell
Director, Communications
Northumberland County
Phone: 905-372-3329  x2335

Email: campbellk@northumberland.ca

Web: northumberland.ca

 

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