Graham Brown, president of the Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society, holds a copy of a new aging in place study to discuss local home care service on Tuesday. On the right is Dr. Raff Sayeed. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
The Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society tackled the issue of aging at home with a presentation by Sharon Jackson, manager of Primary Health Home Care, at Tuesday’s meeting.
“The demands are increasing,” said Jackson, who noted all six care aides now attend to seniors each morning at Pioneer House, for example.
“With ageing in place there is more need for home care.”
That’s in sync with a new study on ageing in place released in October by the National Institute on Ageing based at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Seniors Care Society president, Graham Brown, held up a copy of the study that is on point with plans by Alberta and Saskatchewan health authorities to make aging in place a major support strategy.
The study estimates between 11 and 30 per cent of Canadians admitted long-term care could have potentially remained at home if home care supports were available.
Jackson noted some of the top barriers are bathtubs and stairs for safety, cramped bedrooms to assist clients and carpets that interfere with wheelchair mobility.
Some services also cost money such as giving baths, helping seniors to get dressed and out of bed, and preparing meals.
“We need to work on that because we want to have an expansion of home care and look after more people at home,” said Brown, who was pleased with what he heard.
“We had a good discussion. I am satisfied with the responses, but Sharon can only do so much and we do need to lobby for more people, more assessors, and more home care,” said Brown.
He said they wanted to get a feel for how it was working in the community and identify some of the concerns and some of the things the senior groups can help with.
Residents can learn more about home care and other available health services in Lloydminster by attending the Community Health Assessment Day at the Prairie North Plaza on Nov. 29 from 1-3 p.m.
“It’s to bring all the healthcare services closer to the people. It’s open for everyone,” Primary Health Care development consultant, Dowsan Antonio told the meeting.
The event will promote services, booked appointments for all kinds of medical needs, along with representatives on hand from the Saskatchewan Health Authority to discuss programming.
The Primary Health Care team also invites everyone to meet their community health partners.
“Our main goal in the future is to have a one-stop shop with as many healthcare services as possible under one roof,” said Antonio.
“Right now, we just have a number of SHA partners around, but hopefully in the future, we’ll have our pharmacist there, a social worker there and a nurse practitioner there.”
He says they are highly encouraging those professionals to provide those services at Prairie North as soon as possible.
Antonio says the assessment day will be held every second month in the new year.
Brown says he plans to attend after letting on he wasn’t aware all those services were available under one roof.
“I wasn’t so it was good to hear that,” said Brown.
“It’s very important, the more people that turn out and participate the more accurate information you are going to get.”
