TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- October is Community Support Month and organizations that deliver home and community care are working even harder this year to ensure Ontarians living with disabilities, seniors and other vulnerable people aren’t safe and healthy during COVID-19.
During COVID-19 frontline providers are doing everything they can to provide in-person care when needed and have also adapted to provide virtual care to support seniors and persons with physical disabilities in staying safe and healthy in the own homes and communities. Our sector’s services encompass health promotion, preventative services and re-enablement services, and are more important now in meeting a client’s current needs and keeping them from declining further and needing to enter a hospital or long-term care home.
There are over 25 different services including personal care and home helps, Meals on Wheels, Alzheimer and adult day programs, transportation to medical appointments, caregiver support, and hospice and palliative care services.
We know seniors prefer to live at home. In fact, according to a recent report housing in the community remains a key priority as 92% of all Canadian seniors will continue to live at home and never go into long-term care or congregate care housing. Additional resources are desperately needed now for the home and community support sector in order to keep the most vulnerable among us safe and healthy at home, especially in the unprecedented time.
“Not-for-profit home and community care providers work hard to serve those Ontarians in their communities that need extra support, relieving pressure from the entire health system as a whole,” says Deborah Simon, CEO of Ontario Community Support Association. “Community Support Month highlights the dedicated frontline work these organizations deliver day after day – work that has kept many people safe and healthy during this incredibly challenging time.”
Here are the specific celebration days for the month:
| October 5-9 | Meals on Wheels Week |
| October 7 | Congregate Dining Day |
| October 9 | Supportive Housing/Assisted Living Day |
| October 11 | Friendly Visiting/Telephone Reassurance Day |
| October 12 | Respite Services Day |
| October 12-16 | Community Care Worker Week |
| October 14 | Client Intervention and Assistance (CIA) Day |
| October 19-23 | Adult Day Program Week |
| October 23 | Home Help/Maintenance Services Day |
| October 26 | Transportation Services Day |
| October 27 | Attendant Services Day |
| October 28-29 | OCSA’s Virtual CommunityConnect Conference |
| October 30 | Hospice and Palliative Care Services Day |
Follow the conversation on social media in October at #CSM2020
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About OCSA
Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) represents close to 230 not-for-profit organizations that provide home care and community support services that help seniors and people with disabilities live independently in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. These compassionate and cost-effective services improve quality of life and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and premature institutionalization. They are the key to a sustainable health care system for Ontario.
For more information, visit www.ocsa.on.ca and https://twitter.com/OCSAtweets.