January 2016 The als society of nova scotia advisor

www.easternlight.ca

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  Nursing Homes
  

A variety of agencies and services are available in many communities. Some are privately owned and operated for profit (proprietary), others are affiliated with hospitals, and some are private non-profit agencies. Be sure to speak with your Continuing Care Coordinator regarding placements on waitlist. There is currently 8 months to a year wait list for placement.

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  Palliative Care/Hospice Palliative Care
  

Palliative care addresses different aspects of end-of-life care by:

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  managing pain and other symptoms
  
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  providing social, psychological, cultural, emotional, spiritual and practical support
  
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  supporting caregivers
  
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  providing support for bereavement
  

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  To access Home Care through the Department of Health and Wellness Continuing Care: call 1-800-225-7225
  

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  Employees that work in this department are Care Coordinators. From the initial phone call you will be assigned a Care Coordinator based on the level of care determined at that time.
  

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  The program is divided into different service lines: Acute Care, Chronic Care, Self Managed Care and Palliative Care
  

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  Care Coordinators work in pods and are independent of the each other’s service lines. They will not be able to answer questions relating to the other programs but will discuss your assessment with their supervisor to ensure you are in the correct service line
  

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  The Care Coordinator will come to your home to assess your need for ongoing care. The initial assessment/home visit by the Care Coordinator could last over 2 hours.
  

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  Many questions will be asked to ascertain what care is required and a care plan will be established
  

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  During the assessment you are required to provide the Care Coordinator with your last income tax return and Notice of Assessment. From these documents the Care Coordinator will determine the amount you will pay per month based on your net income.
  

The financial assessment looks at the Family size and net income. An example would be a family with two adults and 2 children with a net income of $47,000- $57,000. They would be assessed to pay $121.00 per month. The maximum charge for this service is for a single person with net income that exceeds $67,000; they would pay $605.00 per month.

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  Create a care plan
  
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  Get care plan approved and hours assigned by your Care Coordinator
  
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  Get budget of funds based on hours from the Care Plan @ $18.50/hour
  
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  Open a separate bank account for Department of Health and Wellness to deposit funds into each month and for you to write cheques from for the staff you hire.
  
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  Open a new business with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies
  
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  Open a payroll deduction account with Revenue Canada and pay employee/employer monthly remittances
  
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  Open an account with the Workers Compensation Board and pay employee/employer monthly remittances
  
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  Complete a job description for the care giver you are going to hire
  
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  Complete a job advertisement for the care giver you are going to hire
  
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  Hire, train, fire, complete Records of Employment and T4’s for all employees.
  
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  Complete quarterly reconciliations for the Department of Health and Wellness to ensure that all monies placed in your bank account for this program are only used to pay employees. You will need to provide them with copies of all canceled cheques and bank reconciliations.
  
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  You cannot hire a family member.
  
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  You can hire a bookkeeper to assist with the administration of the program but it cannot be a family member, you can only pay up to $100 per month and it comes from the established budget of funds for care.
  
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  You can pay your employees between $12-14.00 per hour. The other $4.00/hour is for vacation pay and deductions.
  
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  You can assign an unpaid care manager to help with the administration of this program
  
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  You can keep up to one full month of assessed funds from the Department of Health and Wellness but at such time as you exceed that amount you must return the balance. An example: you are assessed and receive a budget of $2500.00 per month to spend on care. After 3 months you complete your first reconciliation and the bank account, after vacation pay and deductions have been remitted has a balance of $3000.00 because you didn’t need as much care as you had been assessed to need. The additional $500.00 would need to be returned to the Department of Health and Wellness.
  

The following are some of the items discussed during this meeting:

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  Counseling is available for the client, spouse or couples
  
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  A medical team will be provided to complement your existing care provided by Continuing Care.
  
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  This team provides their services from your home or from the hospital.
  
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  You have the opportunity to discuss your end of life concerns and establish what you would like to have happen
  
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  You are advised to write an advanced directive
  
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  You are given the opportunity to take home a DNR order so that those health professionals coming into your home know and can respect your wishes.
  

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  Lotsa Helping Hands
  

Lotsa Helping Hands is a free service that brings together caregivers and volunteers through online Communities that help organize daily life during times of medical crisis or caregiver exhaustion. Caregivers benefit from the gifts of much needed help, emotional support, and peace of mind, while volunteers find meaning in giving back to those in need.

Our service can be used in many ways to help loved ones from providing support to a military family and organizing meal trains for parents to coordinating volunteers for your school or religious group, or bringing together volunteers in your town or neighborhood.

From our Help Calendar to Well Wishes Wall, learn more about using Lotsa Helping Hands: Please visit the website for further information: https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/who-we-help/

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  Access A Bus
  

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  3-Wheel Scooters: 40” L x 21.125” W
  
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  4-Wheel Scooters: 40.25” L x 21.25” W
  

To download a registration application, please visit http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/access_a_bus_registration.html

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  Transport De Clare
  

Provides door-to-door accessible transportation services to all residents with priority placed on services to seniors, persons with disabilities and those facing transportation barriers.

One 18-passenger wheelchair accessible bus;

Two 14-passenger wheelchair accessible buses; and

Two 9-passenger wheelchair accessible vans.

RR # 1, PO Box 175

Church Point, NS B0W 1M0

(p) (902) 769-2477 (dispatch)

(p) (902) 769-2474 (home)

transportdeclare@eastlink.ca

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  Strait Area Transit
  

Strait Area Transit is a non-profit charitable organization made up of a volunteer board of directors along with many partners and sponsoring organizations. Our organization was established after extensive consultation with the community that indicated the need for an alternative means of transportation in the area.

32 Paint Street, Unit 6

Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 3J8

(p) (902) 625-1475

(f) (902) 625-3633

straitareatransit1@ns.aliantzinc.ca

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  Transit Cape Breton Handi-Trans
  

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  Kings Point to Point Transit
  

Faye Brown, Manager

14 Aberdeen Street

Box 114, Station Main,

Kentville NS B4N 3V9

(p) (902) 681-2846

(f) (902) 681-2044

manager@kingsparatransit.ca

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  East Hants Community Rider
  

One minivan can accommodate two wheelchairs and one passenger, while the other minivan can accommodate one wheelchair and four passengers.

Saran Jarvie, Community Transport Manager

224 Highway 214, Suite 101A

Elmsdale, NS B2S 1J7

(p) 883-4716

easthantscommunityrider@gmail.com

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  Trans County Transportation Society (TCTS)
  

Debbie Decker, General Manager

26 Bay Road

PO Box 193

Bridgetown, NS B0S 1C0

(p) (902) 665-1212

(f) (902) 665-4029

tcts@ns.sympatico.ca

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  Colchester Transportation Cooperative Ltd. (CTCL)
  

To establish an efficient, flexible, quality ground transportation service, operating in Colchester County, that meets the needs of all persons. Persons with disabilities, seniors, and non-disabled persons.

35 Commercial Street, Suite 201

Truro, NS B2N 3H9

(p) (902) 896-7433

(f) (902) 896-7433

ctcl@ns.sympatico.ca

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  CHAD Transit
  

CHAD Transit is a critical part of the non-profit community in Pictou County. We help the disabled, seniors, and anyone else who is transportationally disadvantaged. These people are taken to hospital appointments, work, grocery store, or wherever else they are required to go to lead a healthy and happy life. Without CHAD, the quality of life for our clients would be severely diminished.

980 East River Rd., PO Box 853

New Glasgow, NS B2H 5K7

(p) 928-1234

chadtransit@hotmail.ca

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  West Hants Dial-a-Ride
  

Nancy McKinley, Co-ordinator

PO Box 2618

2618, 80 Water St

Windsor, NS B0N 2T0

(p) (902) 792-1802

(f) (902) 792-1801

mlittle@hantscountycan.org

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  Municipality of Chester Transportation Society Community Wheels
  

Chester Community Wheels is owned and operated by The Municipality of Chester Transportation Society.Community Wheels provides connections for individuals to downtown Chester and to the area's major medical centres, as well as charter services for groups and organizations.

23 Collicutt Road,

PO Box 187

Chester, NS B0J 1J0

(p) (902) 275-5585

(f) (902) 275-2249

sandrameister@sswap.ca

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  Cumberland County Transportation Services Society
  

The Cumberland County Transportation Service Society (CCTS) is an accessible, affordable, not-for-profit, public transportation service for residents of Cumberland County who are transportation disadvantaged.

24 Crescent Avenue

Amherst, NS B4H 1V1

(p) (902) 661-1509 (option 3)

(f) (902) 667-4062

ccts@eastlink.ca

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  Handicapped Organization Promoting Equality (HOPE)
  

Three wheelchair accessible minivans, which each can accommodate two wheelchairs and two passengers, or one wheelchair and three passengers.

Two seven passenger minivans (non-accessible).

Charter services are also available.

Linda Vickery, Manager

PO Box 562, 84 Main Street

Yarmouth, NS B5A 4B4

(p) (902) 742-8910

(f) (902) 742-1281

hopecentre@ns.sympatico.ca

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  Travel Tips
  

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  All airlines will transport a wheelchair (manual and power) for no charge.
  

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  Check in at the airport when traveling in a wheelchair is required 3 hours prior to departure.
  

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  If traveling on an aircraft with a power wheelchair the patient must declare the battery type on their chair at the time of reservation.
  

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  Certain aircrafts have extendable restroom walls that allow for a caregiver to assist easier (i.e. 747 and larger) .
  

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  The baggage tag that is affixed to the wheelchair needs to indicate where the patient would like it to be held for them once they reach their destination (ex. at the gate or at Special Baggage).
  

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  The patient can stay in their own wheelchair until they reach the gate for comfort.
  

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  Patients must make sure that a special transport chair is going to be on board if they require it during the flight.
  

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  Flight attendants are not required to assist a patient in and out of the restroom.
  

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  Patients can request special seating with removable arms and closest to the bulkhead portion of the plane.
  

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  As of January 11th, 2009 Canadian passenger airlines must provide a complimentary companion ticket for People Living with Disabilities who must be accompanied by an attendant/caregiver. A doctor’s note is required. Contact the airlines for details and booking. For more information go to www.cta.gc.ca .
  

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  All prescription medications must be in their original packaging with clear labels or they may be confiscated at security.
  

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  Always check for updated restrictions with the airline prior to flying.
  

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  Healthy Meal Alternatives
  

Meals on Wheels- There is no age restriction for receiving Meals on Wheels. Our clients may be elderly or disabled individuals or those recovering from illness, surgery or injury. Meals on Wheels clients cover a wide spectrum of ages and needs. They may require our services for a short time only, or for a longer term. What they all share is the desire for regular healthy and nutritious meals. Please contact your local Meals On Wheels for more information.

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