Discussion about community resources to help with personal care such as bathing, self care, wound care etc. as well as general day to day tips for personal care.

Guest: Linsey, who has worked in public health care in Vancouver for over a decade.

Feedback: navigatingdisabilitywithme@gmail.com

Links:

1. Patient Attachment Initiative/Health Connect Registry: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/find-care/health-connect-registry
2. Vancouver Coastal Health Home Care: https://www.vch.ca/en/service/how-to-access-home-and-community-care-services
3. Fraser Health Home Care: https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/home-and-community-care

Tips:

1. Looking for a Family Doctor/GP/Nurse Practitioner? BC's Patient Attachment Initiative's Health Connect Registry can help hook you up with a primary care provider. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/find-care/health-connect-registry
2. Look online for your town's/region's available GP list.
3. Check your province's College of Physician and Surgeon's online list of GPs accepting new patients.
4. If you're paying someone to come into your home to provide a service, make sure they're insured.
5. Be cautious of anyone coming into your home as you, as a disabled person, might be a target.
6. Paying for activities of daily living can be a qualifying factor for some government disability services and programs such as Person's with Disability and Home Owner's Grant.
7. MSP/Health Authority funded personal care
   1. Requires a home assessment by their team. This would include help with things like bathing/showering, self care, mobilizing around the home, wound care etc.
   2. Frequency of home visits depend on your approved needs. Maybe be once or twice a week, or as much as four times a day.
   3. Home Support Workers are task oriented. They cannot go outside the tasks they are approved to provide. They can do such tasks as: helping get socks on, heating a meal (but not cook), helping get out of bed, helping with meds from a blister pack.
   4. The time that the worker is scheduled to come is an arrival time, not a total length of visit. They will arrive, do the tasks, and leave.
   5. Home Support Workers cannot help with unscheduled medication needs or emergencies.
   6. Home care features an Interdisciplinary Care team which can provide home physiotherapists and occupational therapists. They can assess mobilizing, transfers, bathing etc. and suggest mobility aids or more supports.
   7. Wound care is directed by a community nurse. If you are being discharged from the hospital, the plan will be based on a wound care plan from the hospital team.
   8. Community wound team will decide if you will get care in home or at a clinic, based on many factors.
   9. GP/NP can refer you to all home health care programs. In hospital the social worker helps coordinate.
   10. Some services may have some cost. May need to provide tax info to access the sliding scale.
8. Private Care (paid)
   1. Private care/privately paid companions can help with everything from cooking to personal care to psycho-social support.
   2. Tasks as above but also things like helping with hair/make up, playing video games, watching tv/sports together.
9. Do you really need to shower every day? Do you need to wash everything every time?
10. Watch your ergonomics while doing personal care, and while you're sitting. Does a different position feel better? Do you need tools like pillows for sitting or shower seats for the tub?
11. Can you facilitate doing personal care while sitting? A stool for the bathroom? A caddy to bring your skin care needs to the couch?
12. Look for tools to help make personal care easier. Ex: automatic curling irons.
13. There is a wide variety of walkers, canes etc., which may offer specific features you may need.
14. Use what you have - pillows, towels, stools - to help improve comfort.
15. Advocate for your needs!