BEDFORD, NS, Oct. 1, 2019 /CNW/ - The 16th Annual Continuing Care Month awareness campaign officially launched today with the theme, "Continuing Care -Your Home, Our Passion."
This year's Continuing Care Month campaign is being jointly sponsored by the Continuing Care Association of Nova Scotia, Health Association Nova Scotia, and the Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association. The month-long recognition seeks to raise awareness of the importance of this growing sector and the contributions of its employees and volunteers.
The campaign includes posters and a website aimed at educating people about continuing care and the rewards of choosing a career in this growing field of employment. Additionally, throughout the month of October, Continuing care providers across the province will be hosting open houses or other special events to celebrate their employees.
"The goal of the campaign is to recognize the commitment to quality, compassion and caring by the employees delivering care and the difference they are making in the lives of people who rely on them every day, says Josie Ryan, Chair of the Health Association Nova Scotia Continuing Care Council. "One of the biggest challenges faced by the sector is human resources. There are staffing shortages across the province. So, it's critical that we recognize employees for the important work that they do. Every day in Nova Scotia, continuing care employees go above and beyond to meet the unique needs of their residents/clients and ensure the highest quality of care."
Sheila Peck, Chair of CCANS, adds that the campaign is also about demonstrating that continuing care is a specialty field of employment for those pursuing a challenging and rewarding career opportunity. The Continuing Care Month website is host to a variety of stories that illustrate the difference continuing care employees are making in the lives of people who need care and support in their homes and communities.
"Given the shortage of skilled workers in this field, we also hope that sharing the success stories will help attract trained professionals to this important career path," says Peck. "Continuing care employees work in a variety of practice settings across the province, such as nursing homes, home care organizations, residential care facilities and adult residential centres/regional rehabilitation centres. Employees who provide continuing care experience tremendous personal satisfaction from their constant dedication to delivering the highest standard of care and establishing meaningful relationships with individuals who rely on these important services."
The term Continuing Care is used to describe a range of programs and services that help people live safely in the place they call home. There are a wide range of services available including home support, home nursing, home oxygen services, community occupational therapy and physiotherapy, caregiver benefit program, family relief and respite, personal alert assistance program, self-managed care, senior's wheelchair loan program, bed loan and long term care. Continuing care providers are also active in the community, delivering programs such as Adult Day or Meals on Wheels. People of all ages and circumstances access these important programs and services, depending on their identified needs.
"We also want to encourage people to learn more about the advances being made to improve quality of care and quality of life for Nova Scotians who rely on continuing care services through research, innovation, and adopting best practices" says Debra Boudreau, Chair of the Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association. "In order to effectively respond to the rising care needs of our aging population, which includes adopting changes in our workforce, designing creative and innovative solutions has to be our path forward."
Each year, approximately 40,000 Nova Scotians who need care and support in their homes and communities access continuing care.
To learn more, visit www.continuingcaremonth.ca
Health Association Nova Scotia is a not for profit, non government, membership based association providing representation and policy support, exceptional human resource shared services, and innovative clinical engineering solutions to more then 130 health organizations. Our membership includes nursing homes, residential care facilities, home care agencies, adult residential centres/regional rehabilitation centres, the NSHA, IWK, and other health-related organizations. The HANS Continuing Care Council, which is comprised of a representative group of HANS' continuing care members, is mandated to be a meaningful and influential vehicle for positive change in Nova Scotia's continuing care sector through collaborative action and knowledge leadership.
The Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association is the collective voice for people living and working in nursing homes in Nova Scotia. Raising awareness through one unified voice, the NHNSA plays a significant role in driving transformational change and investment for long term care in this province. Our Association believes in advocating and leading to influence change. We are committed to innovative approaches that ensure safe, high-quality standards of care. We support our members by sharing best practices through facilitated round-table discussions; offering educational and networking opportunities; and engaging direct feedback on government policy and sector issues.
The Continuing Care Association of Nova Scotia is a not-for-profit organization made up of more than 50 care providers that service the communities across our province. Together we provide long-term care and support services to the elderly as well as individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities and those with mental health issues. For more than four decades CCANS has been at the forefront of our provincial care industry pioneering service standards, providing education to frontline staff and working to improve services for the people we serve.
SOURCE HEALTH ASSOCIATION NOVA SCOTIA
Mary Donovan or Alex Cross, Health Association Nova Scotia, 902-832-8500 (phone), [email protected], [email protected]; Michele Lowe, Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association, 902-497-4270 (phone), [email protected]; Heather Spidell, Continuing Care Association of Nova Scotia, 902-499-5027 (phone), [email protected]
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