CommunityBulletin. South West LHIN Spring 2014 The activities of your South West Local Health Integration Network

Transcription

1 CommunityBulletin Spring 2014 The activities of your South West Local Health Integration Network Improving the Health System Where It Matters Most The South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) is working hard to transform the health system to better meet the needs of people in South Western Ontario. We have been implementing programs to: improve access to family health care help people most dependent on health services, like those with chronic diseases improve quality and safety of health care services increase the value of investments into our health system The LHIN, in collaboration with community agencies, long-term care homes, family health care and hospitals, is improving seniors services, community services, family health care, mental health and addictions services and hospital services. Together we are making the necessary changes to improve care while ensuring value for investments and are building a strong foundation for continued transformation. This bulletin highlights improvements to the health system that are making a real difference and are working towards building A Healthier Tomorrow for our communities. A Healthier Tomorrow Julie Diaz with Isabelle Rankin, Wiarton INSIDE Seniors Services Mental Health & Addictions Services Snapshot of the Hospital Services Information Technology Family Health Care CONNIE S STORY For Connie Emmerson, the Day Away Adult Day Program in Wiarton is more than just a place that offers assistance with minor health care and social activities; it is the highlight of her week and a place where she can feel at home. Read more of Connie s story on page 2 DEVON S STORY As a child, Devon required the support of many caregivers for his complex medical conditions. Read about Devon on the back cover

2 With Seniors Services Connie Emmerson, Day Away Adult Day Program, Wiarton Connie s Story continued from page 1 Connie s life changed after undergoing triple bypass surgery and later being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Due to her health, she could no longer drive and had to give up her car. That s when she contacted the South West Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) and was referred to the Day Away Adult Day Program. I am 87 and it sure has brought me out of my sadness, says Connie. My daughters say they see a difference in me and are very happy that this is available. In addition to enjoying the music, crafts and social interaction, the Day Away Program gives Connie something to look forward to every week. Attending the program has improved Connie s quality of life and has given her family peace of mind. Adult Day Programs provide medical monitoring along with socialization, recreation and nutritious meals for seniors and adults with complex needs. While at the programs, participants take part in a variety of therapeutic activities such as exercise, games, crafts and music. This supportive environment assists participants in achieving their maximum level of function, helping them live healthy, independently and safely at home. In my 25 years working in health care, this is by far the most rewarding job I have had, says Julie Diaz, Team Lead, Day Away Adult Day Program. There is no better feeling than when a client tells you that they have had a fun day or the excitement they show when bringing something from home that relates to the particular theme that week. The programs also provide welcome relief and access to information for their families. The knows how important these services are in maintaining the health and wellness of older adults and is working to ensure Adult Day Programs are accessible, affordable and provide a high standard of quality care to all participants. Over the next two years almost 5,000 additional Adult Day Program spaces will be added throughout the. Visit thehealthline.ca to find locations in your community. Access to Adult Day Programs, as well as to Assisted Living and Supportive Housing, is coordinated through the South West CCAC. These services are helping to ensure seniors are getting the right care, at the right time, in the right place. The is working with community services, the South West CCAC and hospitals to make the necessary changes to improve health services and provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place. This graphic depicts a common health care journey and demonstrates how seamlessly organizations work together to deliver patient-centred care. living in the community 88 year-old Beth lives alone in a seniors apartment buidling. She falls and is unable to walk. return to the community The South West CCAC refers Beth to community services such as an Adult Day Program, Assisted Living, Exercise and Falls Prevention classes or Meals on Wheels. Beth continues with regular check-ups with her family physician who has been apprised of her surgery and post-acute care. emergency department Beth is transported by ambulance to the Emergency Department at her local hospital where she is diagnosed with a fractured hip. If surgery cannot be done there, she will be transferred to the nearest hospital able to complete the surgery within 48 hours. Research shows that surgery within 48 hours of the break is critical to achieving a full recovery. HOSPITAL Beth is admitted to hospital, undergoes hip surgery and receives in-patient rehabilitation. Beth is discharged with a home care plan developed by the South West CCAC to support Beth s recovery. Assisted Living and Supportive Housing are community services helping seniors and adults with complex needs, like those with physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries or who are medically fragile. These community services enable individuals to live independently in their own homes. Clients are provided with supervised social activities, meals and personal care, giving their families peace of mind that care is provided. It s just a different sort of thing to be in your home, and having someone come in and help and then leaving you in your own home knowing that you are safe, says Lynne, an Assisted Living client. Exercise and Falls Prevention classes are offered to seniors throughout the in longterm care home and community settings. The group exercise program is designed to improve strength and balance while education sessions provide information about home safety, home exercises and safe medication practices. Exercise and falls prevention classes are helping seniors live healthy, independently and safely at home. Visit thehealthline.ca for a list of classes in your community. Home First recognizes the importance of recovering in the comfort and safety of one s own home. With Home First, the hospital, physicians, community support services and the South West CCAC, along with family members, work together to get the person back into their own home upon discharge from the hospital, if at all possible. A home care plan is developed to support the person s recovery often involving personal support workers, nurses and therapists who work together to support the person s care and recovery. The way I looked at it, if I had a chance to come home and be with my family, I d take it and enjoy whatever time I had, says Faye, a Home First Client. In addition to improving care, Home First helps ensure hospital beds are available for those who need them and reduces the overall demand for long-term care. Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) is a provincial initiative that is improving care and support for older adults with challenging behaviours due to dementia, Alzheimer s, mental health problems, or other neurological conditions. These behaviours include wandering, aggression and cognitive and mood disorders. The behavioural support system is an integrated network of health services that includes trained staff and BSO teams with specialized skills working in long-term care homes and community settings, like at Adult Day Programs, to support older adults with challenging behaviours and their caregivers. BSO also provides overnight respite beds where staff attend to the needs of the individual, allowing a much needed break for caregivers. I was lost in caring for my mother, but the staff in the community and in my mother s [long-term care] home helped me regain strength, reports a Huron Perth resident. I am today an advocate for BSO. I see what hope they [the BSO staff] bring to caregivers like me and to patients like my mother. FACES OF THE LHIN Delia John with Blanche Kilbourne, Oneida Long-Term Care Home, Southwold Lois Green, Bruce County Anna & Abraham Alummoottil, Remi LaRouche with Brian Harron (driver), Home and Community Support Services Transportation Program, Grey-Bruce 3

3 With Mental Health and Addictions Services Eric Mandawe, Traditional Child and Youth Mental Health & Addiction Worker, Chippewa Primary Care Clinic Three -Middlesex Mental Health Agencies Amalgamate to Improve Client Care Earlier this year, Canadian Mental Health Association -Middlesex, WOTCH Community Mental Health Services and Search Community Mental Health Services amalgamated to provide better service to clients. An amalgamation of these organizations was a natural fit as they provide similar services. The agency is now operating as Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Middlesex and provides services across - Middlesex and into communities such as Goderich, Exeter and area. Clients still access services in the same locations. The amalgamation is anticipated to provide improved access to services, including in rural communities, improved crisis response and counseling services and more streamlined processes that will reduce confusion for those seeking help. Additionally, better support for family members of those living with mental health and addictions challenges will be provided. Improving Mental Health Care Services in Grey Bruce Individuals living with serious mental illness in Grey- Bruce will benefit from a new Mental Health and Addictions Multi-Disciplinary Team. The project is being delivered in partnership with Grey Bruce Health Services and Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce. The has provided funding for each organization to hire five additional fulltime staff to provide intensive case management. The goal of the Multi-Disciplinary Team is to reduce current wait times, decrease the number of repeat visits to the emergency department, and facilitate discharge from hospital. Improving Access to Mental Health Services Across the LHIN In, Elgin and Oxford counties, mental health and addictions service providers are finding better ways to coordinate services to ensure individuals in the community are receiving appropriate, timely and seamless care. Providers are using common screening tools to make sure people will receive the right level of care regardless of how they entered the health system. They can also access a shared online calendar to make sure people get their appointments and assessments when and where they need them. Not only is it better for the client, it is also great for the health system by: Preventing duplication of services Streamlining the screening process Reducing fragmentation of service delivery Providing a shared language among multiple health service providers Improving Crisis Services in -Middlesex When someone is facing a mental health crisis, every minute counts. That is why the South West LHIN is investing in improving crisis services for residents facing mental health and addiction challenges. In and the surrounding area, a number of initiatives are underway to ensure people in crisis are getting the right care, in the right place, at the right time. In October 2012, the -Middlesex branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association launched a Mobile Crisis Response Team. The team provides mobile crisis support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are one of five mobile crisis response teams in the that handles urgent calls from police, hospital emergency departments, families and caregivers. Why are Crisis Response Teams so Important? Crisis response teams can provide a quicker response while using the most appropriate resources. In many cases, when someone is facing a mental health crisis, police are contacted when that is not the most appropriate intervention. Crisis response teams keep people facing mental health crisis out of emergency departments and ensure police resources are available for other calls where they are needed. Crisis response teams have staff with a variety of social service and social work backgrounds and are equipped to assist clients in need. The Mobile Crisis Response Team is not only important for residents facing mental health challenges, but it s good for the entire community. Many times, when police officers respond to a mental health call, the situation doesn t require intervention from law enforcement. The Mobile Crisis Response Team has specialized training to handle these types of calls, so more officers can be available on the front lines when and where they are needed. Bill Chantler, Inspector, Community Policing Branch, Police Service. Another important improvement for people experiencing a mental health crisis is the addition of 11 Transitional Case Managers who assist with connecting individuals with appropriate community-based supports, system navigation, and follow-up after leaving the hospital. Clients receive appropriate, seamless supports for a period of up to nine weeks. This integrated, preventative support between health service providers will divert clients from seeking support at area emergency departments and will help prevent hospital re-admissions. Mental Health Crisis Line for -Middlesex: IN

4 Snapshot of the Our Health Service Providers: Our Geography: Our Population: 7.2% of population of Ontario* Plus over 750 primary care physicians including approximately 20 family health teams, funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. For a list of health service providers in your area visit southwestlhin.on.ca Our Job as a LHIN: Source: Canadian Census To lead the way in transforming the health system to better meet the needs of the people of Ontario Responsible for planning, integrating and funding local health services Advantages of LHINs: Less bureaucracy LHINs replaced seven regional offices of the Ministry and 16 District Health Councils The has 40 employees, replacing District Health Council and regional office employees Local decision-making A number of important health care decisions, including funding, are now made locally at board meetings open to the public and the media All board packages are posted on our website five working days before board meetings Increased accountability and performance Ontario s health care system is more accountable than ever due to accountability agreements between the LHIN and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and between the LHIN and health service providers outlining responsibilities and performance requirements We are setting targets to improve the lives of patients/clients/residents and holding organizations accountable for achieving results We ensure public reporting of all of our performance results A System approach to health care LHINs provide a structure to connect health service providers breaking down silos LHINs ensure that health service providers not only do what is right for their own organization, but also for the patient/client/ resident and the health system Community Engagement LHINs engage health service providers and the public in numerous ways to inform, educate, consult, involve and empower in health service planning and decision-making processes Compared to 13% Ontario* Age 65+* Source: LHIN Environmental Scan 2012 *Source: Ministry of Finance, Estimates and Projections

5 Snapshot of the Our Priorities and Goals: HOW DOES THE LHIN INVEST $2.2 BILLION IN HEALTH CARE? South west LHIN 0.3% OPERAtions $6.2M * Mental Health 2.6% & Addictions $65M Community 3.5% services $78M COMMUNITY CARE 9% ACCESS CENTRE $205M LONG-TERM 14% CARE HOMES $310M HOSPITAL 70% OPERATIONS $1.56B *The LHIN allocates 99.7% of all funding received to health service providers. WE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING NUMEROUS PROGRAMS TO ACHIEVE KEY HEALTH CARE PRIORITIES Priority #1 Priority #2 Priority #3 Priority #4 Improve access to family health care Reducing wait times to see a specialist physician Reducing the rate of unnecessary emergency department visits Ensuring that upon discharge from a hospital, a hospital discharge report is provided to the family health care provider within 7 days Help people most dependent on health services Improve quality and safety of our health care services HOW ARE WE GOING TO ACHIEVE OUR PRIORITIES? Reducing patient revisits to emergency departments Reducing patient readmissions to hospital within 30 days of discharge Increasing the percent of patients seeing their family health care provider within 7 days of discharge from hospital Reducing emergency department visits due to falls in adults aged 65 plus Reducing pressure ulcer-related hospital visits Reducing hospital acquired infection rates (e.g. C. difficile infection) Increase the value of investments into our health system Increasing timeliness of diagnostic services (e.g. MRI and CT scans) Reduce the cost variance for acute care, day surgery and emergency departments and drive towards expected costs Reducing the number of patients unnecessarily in hospital beds that can be provided with an Alternative Level of Care (ALC) AN Additional $20.9 million invested IN community care ANNUALLY PLUS $7.4 MILLION IN IN One-TIme Funding $1.1M $2.2M $3.0M $4.5M $4.5M $5.6M $7.4M improve Brain Injury Services improve access to Adult Day Programs, Respite and assisted living improve Mental Health & Addictions Services expand Palliative Care Services and Caregiver Relief expand Home First in and to Huron Perth and Grey Bruce reduce Community Care Access Centre wait-time Investments into mris, knee replacements, HEALTH SERVICE provider amalgamations, infrastructure, emergency departments and other projects BY MARCH 2016 OUR GOALS ARE TO 1 Increase the percent of clients seeing their family healthcare 2 Save 15,000 revisits people made 3 Reduce 17,000 days provider within 7 days of discharge from hospital. to the emergency department. people spent in hospital. REPORT CARD Performance targets are set in the Ministry-LHIN Performance Accountability Agreement (MLPA) by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the. Performance indicators are based on the percent of procedures completed within the targeted timeframe. Performance indicators refer to the length of time where 9 out of 10 admitted patients completed their visits. Performance indicators refer to the number of unscheduled visits to the ED within 7 days of a previous visit as a proportion of all unscheduled visits to the ED. Performance Indicators starting point PERFORMANCE target CURRENT results Fiscal 2012/13 Wait Time (% completed within target): Cancer Surgery Cardiac By-Pass Procedures Cataract Surgery Hip Replacement Knee Replacement Diagnostic MRI Scan Diagnostic CT Scan Home Care Services (Application to First Service from Community Settings) Emergency Department (hours):* Length of Stay for Admitted Patients Length of Stay Non-Admitted Patients, Complex Length of Stay for Non-Admitted Patients, Minor Revisits within 30 Days for Substance Abuse Conditions 31.8% 28.60% 34.41% Revisits within 30 Days for Mental Health Conditions 15.60% 15.60% 18.71% Alternate Level of Care Days 10.51% 9.46% 10.08% Hospital Readmissions Within 30 Days for Acute Care Selected Case Mix Groups* 16.81% 15.10% 17.83% * Case Mix Groups include stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, pneumonia and diabetes. 9 9

6 With Hospital Services In the, there are 20 hospital corporations, operating 33 hospital sites, including 27 emergency departments. It is essential for the LHIN and local hospitals to work together in creating solutions to improve care and better coordinate services. Here are a couple of examples of that partnership in action: Emergency Department Wait Times can be a source of frustration for many people when they are sick or injured. In the, we do have that challenge at some of our larger emergency departments, but overall wait times are dropping across our area. Improvement work funded by the province provides the resources for hospitals to find ways to better use emergency department resources and change how patients are treated and admitted. The St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital was the best performer of all 74 participating Emergency Department Pay for Results organizations in and the LHIN is funding a Knowledge Transfer project to spread that success to four other emergency departments in our area: Tillsonburg, Stratford, Strathroy, and Woodstock. The Life or Limb No Refusal Policy was developed to ensure critically ill patients get access to the large hospitals when specialized expertise is required without delay. In the past, hospitals could refuse the transfer of patients if they were at capacity, but under this protocol, they do not have that option for the most critical cases. This policy was developed in the and is now being rolled out across the province. A More Equitable Health System The LHIN, in collaboration with hospitals, is working to rebalance hospital services within the South West to ensure equitable access to specialized care. Analysis of hospital services found that specialized Complex Continuing Care (CCC) beds and Rehabilitation beds were not available in an equitable manner in all parts of the LHIN. And, in some instances, the beds were not being used or were occupied by patients who could be cared for in another setting. Ideally, some of these patients would be cared for at home with nursing and community services. Difficult decisions were made by key communities to move specialized care beds to support equitable access across the LHIN. As a result, there will be an increase in CCC beds to Grey Bruce Health Services, an increase of rehabilitation beds to St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and a decrease of CCC beds to St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and Alexandra Hospital. The changes are targeted to take place between April 2014 and March Changes to bed numbers has been done in conjunction with significant investment in home care to ensure communities in the LHIN have access to the right health services when they need them. St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital FACES OF THE LHIN Audrey Mitchell with Dr. Jonathan Carter and Emily Sheridan, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Mary Fitkowski with Physiotherapist Karen Stone, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Ricky Clark with Toronto Maple Leaf Nazem Kadri, University Hospital, Nurse Corry Lebedew and Dr. Kyle Carter, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital 11

7 With Information Technology Alisha Smith, Nurse Practitioner, Health Service Provider THehealthline.ca places accurate and up-to-date information about health and community services at the fingertips of residents and health care providers. To date, the website has had over 1.7 million visits with over 5,000 service listings available. This online resource began in the and is now being used in all 14 LHINs in Ontario. Health services can be accessed alphabetically, by categories and by postal codes. In addition to health services, there are three additional sections highlighting healthcare related news, events and career postings. For our Francophone residents, a new French language library has been developed, which helps Francophone residents search for services, careers and resources. By including a French Language section on thehealthline.ca, our Francophone population has access to accurate information, helping them to manage their health and navigate the health system more effectively, says Yacouba Traoré, Client Services Director, InterCommunity Health Centre. It will also be a useful resource for health service providers in helping to plan for the delivery of French language services in their organizations. Information you will find on thehealthline.ca: Supportive Housing and Assisted Living Long-term care homes including video tours of every home across our LHIN Adult day programs Meal delivery services Homemaking Friendly visiting Volunteer transportation Care for the caregiver Fitness, recreation and social programs Financial assistance and advice Full listing of mental health and addiction services To access this website visit: thehealthline.ca SPIRE (South West Physician Office Interface to Regional Electronic Medical Records) is an electronic interface that allows physicians practicing in the South West LHIN to receive medical records electronically from local hospitals. Through SPIRE, records like lab reports, diagnostic imaging and dictated notes are securely sent and stored in a physician s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Prior to the use of this electronic interface, physicians would receive records via fax or mail days after a patient s hospital visit. With the creation of SPIRE, physicians in the South West are now able to receive a patient s results in real time, empowering providers with accurate and timely information. To date, more than 500 physicians in the South West are connected through SPIRE. Personal Support Workers in patients homes eshift is a program allowing patients with terminal take vitals and send information electronically... illness or complex medical conditions to be supported and cared for in the comfortable setting of their homes, rather than in the hospital. Personal Support Workers (PSWs) are equipped with specialized training and technology tools to provide bed-side care to clients in their homes. Each PSW uses a wireless handheld device, similar to a smartphone, where they can transmit information to a nurse who monitors at a distance and intervenes when necessary. This initiative allows one nurse to remotely monitor three to four patients at the same time. With PSWs providing overnight home care to clients, the burden of caring for one s ill family member is relieved. This technology is enabling patients the ability to remain in their homes with their families. to one nurse managing treatment remotely for the four patients. To learn more visit southwestlhin.on.ca 13

8 With Family Health Care Zettler Family, Bruce County Family health care, also known as primary care, is the hub of health care, connecting the right health services, at the right time, in the right place. We are fortunate to have four highly skilled primary care physicians working with the LHIN, as Primary Care Leads, to bring an important perspective to our work. The Primary Care Leads are tasked with two responsibilities. The first is to inform and engage family health teams and physicians in their geography to ensure understanding of health care issues and the solutions being implemented. The second is to help create links between primary care and other key health services including Hospice Palliative Care, Seniors, Acute Care, ehealth and Technology, Mental Health and Addictions, and Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. Dr. Rob Annis Family Physician, North Perth Family Health Team, Primary Care Lead I am pleased to help foster an understanding of health care issues and solutions with family physicians in Huron and Perth counties. I am also focused on creating links between primary care and Hospice Palliative Care throughout the LHIN. Hospice palliative care strives to help patients and families address physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical issues to prepare for the dying process and to cope with loss and grief during the illness and bereavement. It is important for family physicians to be involved in the care of their patients at the end stage of life. Through participation on the South West Hospice Palliative Care Leadership Committee, I am working to develop best practices and links for family physicians to facilitate the best possible care for their patients. The Primary Care Leads bring an essential perspective to finding solutions for changes needed in the health care system, and have a direct impact on how care is delivered in the LHIN. Dr. Rob Annis, Primary Care Lead. Dr. scott mckay Family Physician, Primary Care Co-Lead As a Primary Care Co-Lead with the, I am working to keep family physicians in and Middlesex and Oxford counties informed and engaged in improving family health care. I also have two areas of health services that I am focusing on. The first is to improve care for seniors. With seniors projected to make up just over 20% of the population in the next 10 years, programs like Behavioural Supports Ontario that provide services for patients suffering from conditions like Alzheimers and their caregivers are increasingly critical. I am pleased to work with the LHIN to help ensure the health system is adapting to this new reality. The second area is working to create links between primary care and hospital care. I want to provide as much insight as I can into how primary care physicians can better work together with hospitals to improve the coordination of services and make the patient experience better. Dr. jonathan thomas Family Physician, Lion s Head Primary Care Co-Lead I am working to inform and engage family physicians in Grey and Bruce counties and to develop electronic tools to improve access to services for rural communities. In remote locations, like Lion s Head where I work, electronic health tools are important for family physicians to provide good care. Tools like the Ontario Tele-Medicine Network link health service providers by video to enable consultations about patients. I am also working to create links between primary care and mental health and addictions services. Ensuring mental health and addictions services - from family physicians, to community supports services, to hospital, to police services are linked will mean more effective and better quality of care. Dr. gordon schacter Family Physician, Primary Care Co-Lead In addition to fostering an understanding of health care issues and solutions with family physicians in and Middlesex and Elgin counties, I am working to improve care for people suffering with chronic disease and to increase awareness of chronic disease prevention and management. Chronic disease impacts a large percentage of residents in the South West LHIN. Approximately 365,000 residents have a chronic condition and over 150,000 contend with multiple chronic conditions. Finding ways to help people prevent and manage chronic disease is critical and primary care must play a leading role in that work. This will help keep people healthier, spend less time at the hospital and enjoy a better quality of life. Health Links are a new model for family health care that will help family doctors connect patients more quickly with specialists, home care services and other community supports including mental health services. Health Links will better serve the people who are most dependent on health services, such as seniors and individuals with multiple chronic diseases and mental illness. These patients often end up in the emergency department for care and are repeatedly readmitted to the hospital when they could be receiving care in the community. Health Links will bring together health care providers as a team to provide coordinated care so that patients receive the most appropriate care. In the, start-up of the Huron Perth Health Link and -Middlesex Health Link is moving forward while planning for Health Links in Grey-Bruce, Oxford and Elgin counties is underway. Aboriginal Health Outreach The South West LHIN is collaborating with health care providers to deliver culturally appropriate health services to over 13,000 Aboriginal residents. An Aboriginal Health Outreach Team was established in Owen Sound this past summer to serve Aboriginal people living with complex conditions in the Grey-Bruce area. The five-member team includes a nurse practitioner and patient navigator focused on seniors, two transitional mental health and addictions case managers and a traditional healing services coordinator. The team also provides mobile outreach by visiting the First Nations communities of Nawash and Saugeen and the Metis and urban Aboriginal community of Owen Sound. French Language Services To better serve francophone residents, the has developed a toolkit for health service providers to facilitate better understanding and communications. Visit southwestlhin.on.ca to access the French Language Services Toolkit. FACES OF THE LHIN Carys and Addison McEllistrum, Huron County Reg Perry with daughter Wendy Perry, Schaefer Family, Chelsey Walters with parents Susan and Rick, Participation House,

9 Devon s Story Devon at Participation House As a child Devon required the support of many caregivers for his complex medical conditions. He received excellent care and support at home from his devoted family and several health service providers. it takes a village Many supports were in place to help raise our boy, says Devon s Mom, Carolyn Cauchi, because, as we all know, it takes a village to raise a child and it took a village, plus some, in order to raise Devon. But just before his 18th birthday, Devon had to spend six and a half months in the hospital. When the time came to discharge him, his family discovered that there are less supports in the system for an adult. However, through a South West LHIN funded program at Participation House, Devon is able to live in a residential setting with staff dedicated to him and other adults with complex needs, avoiding a prolonged hospital stay or placement in a long-term care facility. LHINs are making important and tough decisions. They re integrating care so it reflects the needs of patients, and they re implementing provincial priorities at the local level, with robust community input. Honourable Deb Matthews Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Contact Us South West Local Health Integration Network 201 Queens Avenue, Suite 700, Ontario N6A 1J1 Telephone: Toll-free: southwest@lhins.on.ca southwestlhin.on.ca A Healthier Tomorrow