Current News > January 30th, 2006: We're all in the business of building healthier communities: KDH CEO tells North Grenville Chamber members
Kemptville District Hospital
2675 Concession Road, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
Tel: (613) 258-6133; Fax: (613) 258-7853
March 15, 2006
KDH welcomes first Interim Long Term Care patient
Kemptville District Hospital welcomed its first Interim Long Term Care patient Thursday, March 9.
“It was an exciting day for everyone,” said Kimberly Peterson, Director of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer. “We’ve been working hard to prepare and we’re very happy that the first resident has finally arrived.”
Ms. Peterson added staff are looking forward to the arrival of nine more residents in the next several days, eight of them from Kemptville.
The hospital was recently awarded Ministry of Health and Long Term Care funding to operate 12 Interim Long Term Care (LTC) beds. The beds will be used by patients waiting to go to a long term care facility permanently, and patients must already be in a hospital to be eligible for them. The patients are referred to KDH by the Community Care Access Centre.
Those patients currently have to wait in an acute care setting not designed to provide programs for individuals requiring a long hospital stay. The residents’ average length of stay is expected to be about six months. Without exercise and mental stimulation from activities such as card games, bingo and music, their ability to carry out daily activities can actually decline, said Ms. Peterson. “We’re providing more appropriate care,” she added. “It’s more like a home environment than a hospital.”
Hospital staff “have been very actively involved in planning for the arrival of the residents,” said Ms. Peterson. KDH is grateful for the support of Rosemary Connelly, Director of Care at Bayfield Manor, who “agreed to assist us by sharing her expertise.”
The Interim Long Term Care area at KDH has been secured so that it is safe for patients with conditions such as Alzheimer’s to move around. The area has also been made as homelike as possible, with features such as bedspreads, curtains on the window, and the type of furniture found in a home.
-30-
For more information contact:
Kimberly Peterson (613) 258-6133 ext. 181