Photos supplied.
Cam and Rick enjoy in-home visits with VON staff who foster relationships with their customers and provide activities they enjoy.
The Victorian Order of Nurses has a long history of offering home care and public nursing, but these days not all of their services involve nurses. The type of services provided vary by community, but the organization’s mission is to deliver caring support to help people live in their homes. The organization provides in-home and adult day programs for seniors and individuals with disabilities in locations across Ontario and Nova Scotia. Access to most programs in our area is provided by Central East Home and Community Support Services (centraleasthealthline.ca, however Sadie Graham, Supervisor of the In Home Respite Program in Peterborough, explains that customers can apply directly for the In-Home Respite support.
This program provides temporary relief to caregivers of adults with a disability, dementia or other chronic illness. Respite may include homemaking services such as meal preparation or light housekeeping and recreation and stimulation activities, and usually occur once a week, for a few hours at a time. This kind of support can help prevent caregiver burnout by relieving some of their ongoing workload and stress.
Other longer term programs offered are in-home supports that provide non-medical services to seniors with complex needs, called Assisted Living services. Recipients usually have cognitive or physical health challenges and require some supervision. Staff providing these services are not Personal Support Workers and have only basic medical training such as CPR. They provide stimulation for physical, social and mental activities, allowing primary caregivers time away from their responsibilities. Visits are scheduled for a consistent day and time with the same staff member, which helps them develop connections with the customer and offer activities that align with their interests, hobbies and abilities. Other programs provide personal hygiene, dressing and essential homemaking services provided by staff with some medical training.
For those who are able to participate in something outside the home, VON operates Adult Day programs five days a week in two Peterborough locations. Running from 9 am to 4pm, the program offers social, recreational and therapeutic activities to older adults in a secure setting.
Because the VON is a registered charity, the services they provide are subsidized. The organization is funded by individual and corporate donations as well as by fee-for services and grants from all levels of government. VON is one of many local organizations offering support to caregivers and adults with physical and cognitive challenges that improve the quality of their lives and potentially allow them to stay safe and comfortable in their own homes. For more information about this organization, visit VON.ca or call 705-874-0140. KG
