Community Care and Hospice Prince Edward have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that those who need transportation will receive the support required. Hospice Prince Edward provides palliative care to people with terminal illness. These clients will now be able to access transportation to medical appointments and essential shopping through the Volunteer Driving Program administered by Prince Edward Community Care. Clients of Hospice Prince Edward and their caregivers will now be provided with Meals on Wheels through this agreement between the two agencies.
L-R Wendy Davis and Genny Vincent, chairs of the Hospice Prince Edward and Prince
Edward Community Care boards of directors, sign a Memorandum of Understanding on
January 26, 2006.
"Our two agencies have a long history of working together to help people and this is just a natural extension of our programs," commented Genny Vincent, chair of Community Care's board, on the occasion of signing the agreement. "We have expanded our eligibility criteria to include the palliative care clients that are supported by the programs of Hospice Prince Edward." Wendy Davis, chair of the board of Hospice Prince Edward says "our agency is extremely proud to be associated with Community Care for Seniors and commend the Board on presenting this initiative to Hospice. It is clearly just another indication of this community working together for the betterment of the people living here".
Prince Edward Community Care has operated a Volunteer Driving Program for almost 25 years, providing rides for seniors to medical appointments. Twenty-seven volunteers have gone through the extensive screening required to become a driver. Along with a police check and driver abstract each volunteer has been interviewed and references were checked. Clients apply to receive the service and, once accepted, must call in advance and request the ride. Staff need to know the destination, number of stops and the approximate length of the trip. A volunteer is then matched to the ride and the client receives a call advising them of the name of the volunteer and the pick up time. The cost of rides is based upon .40/km and if necessary, subsidy can be provided.
Hospice Prince Edward is a not for profit agency which provides grief, bereavement support and palliative care to people with terminal illness and their families from birth to grave. Hospice also provides grief and loss counselling, counselling one-on-one or in a support group setting. A very extensive resource library is also available. All programs and services are free. Hospice is partly funded by the Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care, United Way of Quinte, community donations and fundraising endeavours. Contact Hospice Prince Edward at 476-2181 x 4253 or email awhitney@qhc.on.ca for further information.
Prince Edward Community Care for Seniors has been supporting seniors to live independently at home since 1977. Services include Meals on Wheels, transportation to medical appointments, noon-time dinners for seniors, foot care, help with forms, rural route reassurance and telephone reassurance programs. The agency is partly funded by the Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care and is also supported by donations and community fundraising efforts.
For more information contact:
Debbie MacDonald Moynes, 476-7493, debbie.moynes@on.aibn.com
