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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, A pr il 5, 20 18 | 10 Mable Holman died nine days before her 101 birthday. As her granddaughter-in-law Annette Holman looks over a cel- ebration of life pamphlet, she says, "one of Mable's biggest fears was going into a nursing home." One of the main factors that kept her out of a home, up until her final days, Annette says, is the community paramedic pilot program that is set up at 8 Dur- ham Street in Georgetown. Halton Paramedic services have partnered with Halton Community Housing Corpora- tion and McMaster University to implement a community health assessment pilot project. "We wanted to see that we could do this project," said Peter McMurrough, deputy chief of Halton's paramedic services. The group chose one building in Georgetown and one in Milton to start off. "Start off small, then ramp up later," McMurrough said. On a weekly basis, paramed- ics set up a clinic in each build- ing, which were known to have high 911 calls to attend to elderly residents. As a preventative measure, the paramedics check blood pres- sure, blood sugar levels, and the mobility of residents down in the front lobby. "There are people who don't have a family doctor, or can't get to the family doctor," McMur- rough said, explaining that some residents had unidentified condi- tions, medications that conflict- ed and more. Paramedics also found that some residents who did not speak English were slipping through the cracks due to communication barriers. On several occasions paramedics worked with transla- tors and found that patients had several health concerns, but could not get to a doctor, or com- municate the need to see one. "There was a gap that we iden- tified," he said. Every Tuesday paramedics set up their clinic at the George- town building, where residents like Gord Rea, 89, come down for their weekly checkup. "I was all for it," he said, sitting down in the front lobby, his hair combed back neatly, smelling of fresh soap. "Speaking to people in the building, it's got to be benefi- cial." Rea goes around to his neigh- bour's apartments and encourag- es them to visit the clinic, resi- dents like a couple from El Salva- dor - who spoke mainly Spanish. After bringing in a translator, paramedics uncovered a number of health issues with the husband and were able to connect him with services. "They're missing out on an op- portunity," said Rea, speaking about residents who don't come down for the checkups. "They know me, they know the medica- tions I'm on, my habits." It's not just all about physical health either. "Social isolation is one of the key things we've identified," said McMurrough. "It's not all about treating the medical condition." One of the paramedics in the program, Bill Hetherington, sparked a friendship with Mable. The 100-year-old woman shared stories with Hethering- ton about her hometown in Nova Scotia. After Mable passed away, her family found that she had been keeping a diary. Over and again, she wrote about how she couldn't wait for Tuesday. "She really enjoyed speaking to them, and the social aspect," said Annette. Mable moved to Mississauga in 1957 and worked at a Wool- worth store in the area. "Bill's mom used to take him there shopping," Annette said, explaining that the pair would talk about all sorts of things. "It was very special. They ended up having a connection." Now, McMurrough and the paramedic team are looking to expand the project. "The calls to 911 have de- creased," he said, explaining that Georgetown's numbers are down 20 per cent and Milton by 40 per cent. They are expanding to two sites in Oakville and hope to bring the services to Burlington. "This was a good place to start a pilot," said McMurrough, standing inside the lobby at the Georgetown building. "We're ac- tually dealing with a lot of social issues. For seniors, when they feel isolated they tend to use more medical services." NEWS Paramedics reduce 911 calls with senior's program ALEXANDRA HECK aheck@metroland.com WALK-IN & FAMILY CLINIC • Male & Female Physicians • Walk-in and Appointment • Women's Health & Pregnancy Care • Sports Medicine • Extended Hours • Senior's Health • Lab On-Site • Pharmacy On-Site Miller Dr. M ou nt ai nv ie w Rd .S 8t h Li ne M ai n St 15 Sd. Rd. Eaton St. 10 Side Rd Opposite to Allison's Farm Market FULL SERVICE MEDICAL CLINIC 221 Miller Dr., Georgetown 905-873-6776 www.GenesisHealthTeam.com By Cory Soal R.H.A.D. . . . Lend MeYour Ears We care about your hearing! 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