Wellness clinic pilot project being launched

The Chatham-Kent Community Paramedic Program will soon be operating wellness clinics for older residents of social housing as part of a pilot project aimed at monitoring and improving residents’ health.

Older adults residing at 99 McNaughton Avenue will be invited to attend a free weekly clinic session where a Community Paramedics will conduct health assessments, check vitals signs, and diabetes and falls risk assessments.

Based on these assessments, the Community Paramedic will provide health education/promotion, community programs and resources to participants. Participants’ health information may also be referred to participants’ community health services or their regular primary care practitioner.

The project is the result of nearly a year of discussions involving Chatham-Kent Housing Services, representatives of Medavie EMS Ontario, Chatham-Kent and the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

The discussion included the need for community supports within social housing with the goal of decreasing the costs of treating heart disease and diabetes through emergency and hospitalization, improve screening, provide health education and increase housing stability.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has encouraged social housing service managers to develop partnerships to meet the needs of the changing demographic within social housing and assist individuals to maintain safe affordable housing within their own community.

Accessible community supports in social housing have been recognized as “key” to assisting individuals with complex physical and/or mental health challenges successfully maintain housing stability. Older adults living in subsidized housing report poorer health. Their low income and age make it harder for them to use community services. Many older adults have heart disease and diabetes, which leads to frequent emergency calls and hospital admissions.

The Community Paramedic Led Wellness Clinic is an evidence-based program whose partners include researchers from McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine in collaboration with several local Ontario paramedic services and Chatham-Kent Housing Services. Data collected will help shape future initiatives.

“This pilot project will serve as a building block to further develop relationships with the Erie St. Clair LHIN and community service agencies leading to increased housing stability. The pilot site is McNaughton Manor, our largest public housing project located at 99 McNaughton Avenue in Chatham,” stated Kristen Williams, Manager, Tenant Relations for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, in a press release.

“The goal of the pilot is to improve tenancy stability, and prevent homelessness with the goal of improved health and wellbeing, which results in decreased hospitalization, emergency department visits and early entry to long term care. Our hope is that this pilot may lead to expanding this service to other social housing sites in Chatham-Kent, wherever the evidence supports the need for it,” added Williams.

“With the growing effects on the healthcare system, programs such as Community Paramedic Wellness Clinics have great potential to reduce the impending burden created by an aging population with complex health conditions by being proactive in identifying client’s care needs and collaborating early with their care team.” stated Donald MacLellan, General Manager, Chatham-Kent EMS, in a media release.

This pilot meets the Ministry of Housing Long-term Affordable Housing Strategy’s goal of people-centred, efficient housing programs by improving co-ordination across related government systems, transforming the supportive housing system. It also aligns with the Provincial Strategy, and is consistent with the municipal CK Plan 2035.

Through partnership with researchers from McMaster University Department of Family Medicine, the pilot is based on an evidenced-informed system, as researchers design, collate and analyze the data, reporting on conclusions and recommendations. This data will form a baseline for the future.

Through a partnership with Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services this pilot is funded 100% provincially by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative. There is no direct financial implication to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.

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