With family and friends living out of the area, Laura McLarty was worried about how she would get home from her hospital day surgery. The Goderich senior’s worries were quickly alleviated when she learned about a new program that would ensure she arrived safely and comfortably home from her hospital stay.
Home At Last (HAL) is a free service led by Town and Country Support Services that provides help to older adults to settle in at home after being in the hospital. Working with community partners, including Stratford Meals on Wheels and Neighbourly Services, Milverton Community Outreach, Mitchell Community Outreach, St. Mary’s Home Support Services, and VON Perth Huron Community Support Services, HAL identifies seniors in local hospitals who have limited supports upon discharge or potential concerns regarding how well they may settle when they return home.
McLarty learned of the Home At Last program during her pre-op appointment at Clinton Public Hospital. Family and friends lived too far out of the area to be with McLarty and it was recommended that she not go home alone after her day surgery.
“For a lot of us, that’s a big problem,” said McLarty, of having family and friends available to be there with them after being discharged from the hospital. “It means a lot to know that there are people available to help us.”
A Personal Support Worker (PSW) from Town and Country met McLarty at the hospital and escorted her back home to Goderich using the transportation services also available through the program. McLarty said she particularly appreciated having someone else at the hospital with her to hear the post-op instructions in case she missed some of the information. When they arrived home, the PSW made sure everything was safe in her apartment, that she would be able to move safely around her home, and helped her with tasks she was unable to do because of the surgery, such as making her bed. The PSW was also available to answer any questions McLarty may have had.
“Having someone to talk to means as much as anything,” said McLarty, who was happy to use the service again after her second eye surgery. “It was such a terrific experience for me.”
HAL is a program offered throughout Ontario as part of the Aging at Home initiative and aims to relieve back log of hospital beds while coordinating services to ensure a safe and efficient transition from hospital to home for older adults. Funded through the South West Local Health Integrated Network, the program links hospital staff, the South West Community Care Access Centre and local service providers to facilitate a safe and timely discharge from hospital for adults aged 55 and older who are medically stable.
Upon discharge from hospital, transportation services are available to get the client safely home and a PSW will stay with the client for up to four hours. Once home, the PSW will do a safety check of the home, and provide personal care and homemaking services. A complimentary meal is provided, and if needed, the PSW can pick up some groceries and/or prescriptions for the client. Time is given to answer any questions and to review support agencies available in the community to meet the client’s particular needs. Clients also receive a follow-up call within 48 hours to ensure everything is going alright.
“There is a big need for this service,” said Lesley Brown, HAL Supervisor for Town and Country Support Services. She added that people don’t always know what services are available to them in their community, so accessing additional supports in the community is made easier through HAL. “We are trying to prevent readmission to hospital.”
HAL is not just for people who live alone. Brown explained that family members who require assistance getting their loved one home from the hospital can also use the service. But, she added, that HAL is not just a transportation service. The client must use the PSW service to qualify. HAL also coordinates care for those coming from hospitals out of the Huron/Perth areas.
Since launching last fall, Brown has been travelling across the two counties spreading the word about this program throughout all eight hospitals in Huron and Perth. While most referrals come through Hospital CCAC Case Managers, Brown noted that clients and family members who feel the HAL program would assist them can contact her directly for more information can contact her for more information at 1-888-252-1117.
