A provincially funded pilot project aims to reduce ambulance visits to two local long-term care facilities by expanding the role of the Middlesex London Paramedic Service (MLPS) community paramedics. Community paramedics typically provide non-emergency primary medical care at patients’ homes. Under the new Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Plus (CPLTC+) program, they will now offer diagnostic testing at Strathmere Lodge in Strathroy and Dearness Home in London. These tests include urinalysis, Chem-8 blood tests, and ultrasounds.
This initiative aims to decrease the need for long-term care residents to be transported to hospitals by ambulance for routine medical tests, a process that can be particularly stressful for elderly and vulnerable patients. It will also help reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments and the 911 system, which fields between 2,500 and 3,000 calls from long-term care facilities annually.
The Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care is providing $500,000 to support the pilot project.
Written by: C. Soares