Community Paramedicine program for home-based residents launching in Elgin County and St. Thomas

March 1, 2023
For Immediate Release

Central Elgin, ON – The County of Elgin is pleased to announce that beginning today, March 1, 2023, eligible residents living in Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas will have access to a new Community Paramedicine (CP) program. This program, funded entirely by the Province, will bring high-quality care to residents living in seniors housing and retirement homes while also offering accessible home-based care for our community’s most vulnerable population.

Elgin’s Community Paramedic program will be offered via a referral process and complement the existing frontline paramedic service provided by Medavie EMS Elgin Ontario to Elgin and St. Thomas residents. This program will add two (2) full-time paramedics, who will offer the following accessible mobile support to residents:

  • In-person and Remote Patient Monitoring services
  • Chronic/complex disease monitoring /surveillance
  • Medication safety and reconciliation
  • In-home visits and point-of-care testing capabilities; and
  • Client and family navigation, coordinated care planning to various services, agencies and resources.

Medavie EMS Elgin Ontario’s Community Paramedic Manager, Lyndsey Longeway, said the new program will enhance the ongoing healthcare needs of our community.  “The Community Paramedicine program will make a significant impact in the lives of residents in our region. Alongside our highly skilled team of paramedics, we are excited to work in collaboration with our partners to improve the wellbeing of our community while supporting the broader health care system.”

Community Paramedics will work collaboratively with primary care and community care providers to deliver the above-mentioned services. These services are available through referral to those on the waiting list for long-term care (LTC), those who have been assessed as eligible for long-term care by a Home and Community Care Support Services care coordinator but are not yet on the waitlist, and those who are soon eligible for long-term care.

“We often hear from concerned residents waiting for admission to LTC that it can be a challenging time for seniors and their caregivers,” said Elgin County Warden Ed Ketchabaw. “We are thrilled to see this program finally come to fruition here in Elgin and St. Thomas, as it allows seniors to receive the care they need while remaining in the comfort of their own homes and communities,” he added.

“Today begins the active delivery of this new service to help ensure efficiencies for our healthcare experts and seniors living in Elgin County and St. Thomas,” said Warden Ed Ketchabaw.  “Through collaborating with our community partners, we have leveraged access to high-quality in-home services for eligible seniors awaiting admission to Long-Term Care. This program has demonstrated significant value elsewhere in the province by improving the quality of life for vulnerable seniors.”

“Paramedics are experts in providing rapid, high-quality care and are an invaluable asset to care teams. This funding will leverage the skills of our paramedics to provide non-emergency home visits and in-home testing procedures; ongoing monitoring of vital signs to prevent escalation of chronic/complex medical conditions; assessments, referrals, diagnostic procedures, and point-of-care testing,” said Medavie EMS Elgin Ontario’s General Manager, Stephen VanValkenburg. 

Early feedback from participating communities indicates a reduction in rates of hospital admissions and an increased integration with primary care. This program is fully funded by the provincial government and is operated in partnership with local municipalities. 

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Warden Ed Ketchabaw
warden@elgin.ca
519-619-8432

 

Pictured below are the paramedics that will help to deliver this new program.

Group photo of 7 paramedics standing together

Easter Holiday Closure Notice
Family Day Closure Notice
Graphic to indicate holiday closures at Elgin County Facilities. The Elgin County Administration Building, Provincial Offences Administration Building, and Elgin County Heritage Centre will be closed on Friday, December 23rd at noon. Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024.