Hastings-Quinte paramedic services to receive almost $6 million to help those in long term care

The Ontario government is investing about $6-million over the next four years to expand the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Program to Hastings and Prince Edward counties. In attendance for the announcement was: (l-r) Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison, Prince Edward County Councillor Janice Maynard, Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk, Hastings County Warden Rick Phillips, Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith, Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Daryl Kramp and Chief Doug Socha, of Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services. (Photo by James Tubb, QNet News)

By James Tubb

BELLEVILLE – More seniors will be able to remain at home longer and be safer under a new provincial initiative to provide assistance through paramedics.

Politicians from across the region gathered Thursday as the Ontario government announced it is investing $5,946,200 over the next four years to expand the community para-medicine for long-term care program to Hastings and Prince Edward counties. The purpose of this initiative, being delivered by Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services, is to help more seniors as they wait for long-term care to stay safe while living in the comfort of their own homes.

“As we bring long-term care into the 21st century, we are modernizing care that puts residents and their loved ones first,” said Todd Smith, MPP for the Bay of Quinte.

Smith, alongside Daryl Kramp, MPP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington, made the announcement at the Hastings Quinte paramedic hub in Belleville. It is part of the Ontario government’s annual commitment of up to $54 million to expand the program to additional communities across Ontario following a launch in five communities last fall.

“Healthcare is the largest single item budget for the province and the federal government. We have to be efficient and effective to try and find ways to innovate and deliver results for the public. Hastings-Quinte paramedics have been at the forefront of a number of these changes that we have had in delivery care,” Kramp said.

The program, which will be funded through 2023-2024, will provide residents with:

• Access to health services 24-7, through in-home and remote methods, such as online or virtual
  supports;
• Non-emergency home visits and in-home testing procedures
• Ongoing monitoring of changing or escalating conditions to prevent or reduce emergency incidents
• Additional education about healthy living and managing chronic diseases; and
  connections for participants and their families to home care and community supports

“We are very excited to continue to expand the existing program that we have today. I know this will be well received not only by the paramedics here but by the patients they look after,” said Chief Doug Socha, of Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services.

Smith said patients in the program could be provided with remote monitoring devices that sends their vital information to a communication hub that would be monitored all hours of the day. A community paramedic will then be notified if a person’s vital number, like blood pressure or temperature falls outside of expected values. This would allow the paramedic to be able to respond quickly to help.

Today, @darylkramp and I announced a commitment of almost $6 million over four years to extend Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services community paramedicine programming for those awaiting long-term care in @Hastings_Info and @Shire_Hall. For more, see https://t.co/8xefime25Y. pic.twitter.com/OMSef7xgWN

— Todd Smith (@ToddSmithPC) February 11, 2021

According to Smith, before the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term care homes in Ontario were operating at a 99 per cent occupancy with a waitlist of over 38,000. He said the current median time to get into a long-term care home is 132 days and that for many homes in Hastings-Quinte, the wait is even longer.

“It will directly impact people who are on a waitlist for long-term care by helping them stay in their homes longer, something that is important for all of us. By using a variety of means, including house visits, telephone calls and remote patient monitoring, we will be able to provide preventative and responsive care to improve our resident’s quality of life, reduce avoidable emergency department visits and hospital stays,” Hastings County Warden Rick Phillips said.

Three-quarters of the money will be spent on operations over the next four years, while the remaining allocation can be used to provide vehicles, equipment, and supplies.

The announcement came two days past the one year mark of when Hastings-Quinte paramedics began their response to the COVID-19 pandemic as Canadians abroad were quarantined at CFB Trenton on Feb. 8 for two weeks.

“Our paramedics have been on the job against COVID-19 for the last year and although it has been exhausting, they have been doing magnificent work,” Smith said.