Read Translate DisclaimerCurrent Projects
In this section you will find information related to some of the WWLHIN-led projects currently underway.
Rural Health Working Group
In January 2009, a Rural Health Working Group was formed as a sub group of the WWLHIN’s Clinical Optimization Steering Committee. The Working Group focus was to review the current health challenges faced by rural residents within the WWLHIN and identify strategies and opportunities to support the planning and delivery of sustainable health services and programs for those residents.
Dr. Chris Rowley, Chief of Staff at North Wellington Health Care Corporation (Palmerston District Hospital and Louise Marshall Hospital) Chaired the Rural Health Working Group. Membership included doctors and staff from local hospitals, long-term care homes, family health teams and other health service providers, along with community representatives.
Jim Whaley, Rural Health Consultant worked with the group to develop the report and recommendations. The Working Group completed data analysis to gain an understanding of the health care issues in the local rural areas and received extensive feedback from local residents and health care providers through public information sessions and meetings.
Community Consultation on Rural Health Care:
Early in 2009, the working group conducted a series of public consultations to discuss rural health care issues with community members. This first series of consultations took the working group to Harriston, Elora, Elmira, Ayr and Rockwood.
Following presentations to provide background information, participants had an opportunity to share their personal perspective on rural health care needs and concerns. More information on the content and conversation in those sessions can be found by following the links below.
Harriston, ON January 28, 2009
Elora, ON February 5, 2009
Elmira, ON March 5, 2009
Ayr, ON March 30, 2009
Rockwood, ON April 8, 2009
In November and early December, a series of
information sessions were held to gain community feedback on a draft summary report on the Rural Health Care Review. Sessions were held in Erin, Swinton Park, Dundalk, Linwood and Harriston. These sessions were in follow-up to the community sessions held from January - April 2009. Each session included an overview of the draft findings and recommendations currently in development.
Presentations - Public Sessions - November - December 2009
Rural Health Care Review - Sandra Hanmer, WWLHIN CEO
Highlights of the WWLHIN Rural Health Care Review - Jim Whaley, Consultant, Rural Health Working Group
Aging at Home Funds at Work in Your Community
In August, 2007, the WWLHIN was allocated $37 million from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Aging At Home provincial initiative (province wide, $700 million over three years is being invested in the initiative).
The WWLHIN’s Aging At Home strategy is to provide a suite of services for seniors to enable them to live as independently as possible, for as long as possible, in a safe home of their choice
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WWLHIN Investing in More Care for Seniors and Community Services
The following eighteen Aging at Home-funded programs are currently offered in the WWLHIN:
1. Access to Care & Housing for Prematurely Aged Individuals
Lead Organization: The Working Centre serving Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $654,774
This program involves 3 components:
1) street outreach service to prematurely aged adults experiencing absolute homelessness. The program aims to stabilize and improve access to outreach supports that respond to crisis, link people with existing medical services and stabilize individuals experiencing homelessness.
2) At home outreach to prematurely aged adults who are at risk of homelessness to support safe access to CCAC professionals to ensure after-hospital care and preventive supports and timely attention to health issues.
3) Hospitality House Pilot and Research/Planning for Additional Supportive Housing for prematurely aged adults experiencing homelessness or living in unsafe housing, who are difficult to serve and are experiencing debilitating health issues and whose condition is between acute and palliative.
2. Adult Day Services Network
Lead Organizations: St. Joseph's Health Centre, Guelph; City of Cambridge; City of Waterloo serving Cambridge, Guelph and Waterloo
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $1,029,591
The WWLHIN’s network of existing day service providers has expanded programs to include hard-to-serve senior populations – those with complex needs such as dementia, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), physical limitations and multiple health considerations. These programs are vital to providing social stimulation and therapeutic recreation to affected seniors while allowing for much needed caregiver respite.
3. Assisted Living for At Risk Frail Elderly
Lead Organization: Guelph Independent Living, Guelph
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $504,600
This program provides support services to low income seniors within 3 existing rent-geared-to-income housing sites. Seniors have access to a menu of services that correspond to their personal support needs. These include: personal care, housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation assistance, support with medications, crisis intervention, emergency response, safety checks, reassurance and emotional support, social and recreational programming, coordinated shopping and errands and accompaniment to medical appointments.
4. Seniors Centre for Excellence (formerly the Close to Home Program)
Lead Organization: Township of Mapleton
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $184,300
This program provides seniors with a central point of access to transportation, preventive care, friendly visits, exercise programs, social and recreation programs of interest, and one on one support programs and services in the Township of Mapleton, Town of Minto and the Township of Wellington North.
5. Connections for Health Aging
Lead Organization: Fairview Mennonite Home, Cambridge serving Cambridge and area
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $504,600
The activity centre at Fairview Mennonite Home extends services to the broader community of seniors, providing comprehensive fitness and physiotherapy and advice on dietary needs. The centre has a warm-water therapy pool, a bowling alley, a woodworking shop, and a new fitness and exercise room.
6. Expanded Attendant Outreach
Lead Organization: Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $156,000
Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region (ILCWR) will expand its Attendant Outreach Services by adding capacity to provide comprehensive physical supports to help seniors with physical disabilities live independently in the community. Individuals using the program will be involved in identifying their needs, determining their service plan and directing the staff who will provide the service. Consumers using the Outreach program receive assistance with personal care enabling them to remain in their home of choice.
7. Expanded Acquired Brain Injury Services
Lead Organization: Participation House serving the WWLHIN area
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $100,000
Participation House will enhance its assisted living program for people with brain injuries. This expansion is geared specifically to people with light to moderate ABI and for skill development so they can return to the community to live. Supports include vocational services, life skills and rehabilitation.
8. First Link
Lead Organizations: Alzheimer Society of Guelph, Alzheimer Society of Cambridge and the Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $203,500
This program provides access to coordinated services for caregivers and individuals recently diagnosed with dementia by building better linkages between diagnosing primary care physicians, other members of the primary care team, community service providers and the Alzheimer Society.
9. Geriatric Emergency Management (GEM) Nurses
Lead Organization: St. Mary's General Hospital - program serves Cambridge, Fergus, Guelph, Kitchener, Mount Forest and Palmerston
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $568,000
Geriatric Emergency Management (GEM) nurses are now available in each emergency department to assist older adults in returning to their home and accessing needed services following their emergency department visit.
Read the Story on GEM Nurses
10. In Home Primary Care Prevention
Lead Organization: Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre - program serves Guelph and area
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $156,760
The Guelph Family Health Team (FHT) provides in-home primary care to frail, isolated seniors in the City of Guelph. Nurse Practitioners provide community-based primary care with physician consultation through the Guelph FHT. Senior residents are referred to community based supports to enable them to live as independently as possible in the home of their choice.
11. Intensive Geriatric Services Workers
Lead Organization: Trellis Mental Health and Supportive Services serving the WWLHIN area
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $890,000
Intensive Geriatric Services Workers (IGSWs) will provide intensive support and transition for frail seniors with complex needs, through integration of, and collaboration with, health and community support services. Through a minimum of 9 IGSWs, this program will provide support and transition to 360 frail seniors with complex needs.
12. Linking Survivors with Survivors
Lead Organization: Ontario March of Dimes serving Waterloo Region
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $122,664
This program connects stroke survivors to more recent stroke survivors in a peer-to-peer support and assistance model. It also provides access to a toll free information line and online educational resources.
13. Make Yourself At Home
Lead Organization: Guelph Wellington Seniors Association
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $250,190
This program provides seniors with peer advocates/coaches and build informational resources to help seniors identify and access the right health care services on a needs basis.
14. Overnight Weekday Respite Care
Lead Organization: Sunnyside Home, Regional Municipality of Waterloo Region serving Waterloo Region
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $330,113
Sunnyside Home will extend the current weekend-only provision of overnight stay care through the entire week, year-round. The project will increase service access and provide supports / linkages to those marginalized seniors / families affected by serious health illness and/or dementia related behaviour difficulties. Six new clients with cognitive impairments will be admitted twice a week on an ongoing basis to the Sunnyside Home location. This totals an additional 2,190 additional overnight stay care bed days per year.
15. Parish Nursing
Lead Organization: InterChurch Health Ministries serving Guelph and Kitchener
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $268,491
Parish Nursing offers services within a faith-based community as well as the surrounding geographic community. It facilitates a broad range of health and wellness programs including health education, exercise, weight management, blood pressure screening clinics and support groups.
16. Supportive Housing
Lead Organization: Sunnyside Home, Regional Municipality of Waterloo serving the WWLHIN area
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $663,673
The Sunnyside Supportive Housing initiative will include 25 to 30 supportive housing units. The service includes 24-hour care that bridges the gap between independent living and long-term care. Based on individual need, clients may access personal support, homemaking, and attendant care, which will enable them to live independently in the community for a longer period of time.
17. Integrated Assisted Living Program
Lead Organization: Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre serving the WWLHIN area
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $958,789
The Integrated Assisted Living Program (IALP) provides personal support and homemaking services in combinations with assisted living elements to support "aging in place". The goal of the program is to ensure that their senior clients have basic activation, recreation and social needs met through access to appropriate services and programs that support, maintain or enhance their health outcomes.
18. Waterloo Wellington Community Palliative Care Teams
Lead Organization: Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre - program serves Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Wellington County
Aging at Home Investment 2009 - 2010: $699,341
Three Teams will be created, one in each of Cambridge and North Dumfries; Kitchener-Waterloo and rural Waterloo; and Wellington County.
The Teams will be working with all health care sectors, settings and primary care providers. Services are to be provided in either a home or clinic setting as appropriate to the patient’s condition. Team members may accompany primary care providers on patient visits to assist in the development of individualized care plans, to provide point of care teaching and to improve communication among the care providers in the circle of care.
WWLHIN Aging At Home Strategy
View the Year 1 (2008/2009) Project Materials
View Year 2 Call for Proposals