Sunday, 26 May 2013

How can HAL help ?

Program designed to assist seniors after a hospital stay
By Mark Schadenberg
As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), here’s a serious topic to discuss.
What does someone do after a stay in hospital and he/she do not have a lot of family locally to assist in some of the day-in day-out tasks?
HAL can help.
HAL is ‘Home At Last’.
HAL is a program which “provides services to eligible seniors who, due to a lack of resources or appropriate supports; require assistance in returning home after a hospital stay.”
Keep in mind, this program is available to non home owners or in other words seniors living in an apartment.
There is no one with a SRES standing in real estate that does not believe in the premise of ‘aging in place’. After a hospital stay, anyone and everyone could use a helping hand.
HAL can assist with picking up medications and groceries, can meet the client at the hospital and accompany the client home after leaving the hospital. The HAL personnel can assist in laundry, changing bedding, preparing light meals and even assist in light housekeeping and perhaps emptying a fridge which may have some spoiled food after a hospital stay.
Obviously, the HAL person is not a nurse.
There is also no cost to the client as the program is funded through the area LIHN (Locally it’s the Southwest Local Health Integration Network).
Who is HAL?
Assigned through Community Care Access Centre (1147 Dundas Street in Woodstock; 519 539-0065; or email: info-woodstock@sw.ccac-ont.ca; or website: www.ccac-ont.ca), a CCAC (1-866-816-7301) case manager will facilitate this opportunity for a patient who is soon to be discharged from the hospital. The case manager will analyze each patient’s individual scenario to determine eligibility and which services could be or will be offered. A patient released from hospital after hip or knee surgery would certainly qualify, as would someone after a minor stroke or heart condition.
As they always say though in medical information, contact your doctor or other hospital staff and don’t take my word for it.
To apply for HAL, you must be a minimum of 55 years old.
You could say it’s the equivalent of having a visit from a personal support worker (PSW).
Besides CCAC, you can also contact the Red Cross locally for more info.
Meals On Wheels
Other programs are also available such as Meals On Wheels in Woodstock (Call the VON at 519 539-1231).


Mark Schadenberg
Sales Representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage

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