County to receive temporary boost to paramedic services

By Mike Renzella

The Haldimand Press

HALDIMAND—Haldimand County has added a new temporary program to its Paramedic Services Department, aimed at providing additional support at home.

“The High Intensity Support at Home (HISH) Program is for persons/patients identified in the health care system as requiring an alternate level of care and/or are waiting for placement into long term care. A community paramedic will attend at the patient’s home once identified and a scheduled appointment is made,” said Dan Williston, Deputy Chief of Paramedic Services for the County. “The paramedic will do an overall assessment of the patient’s current medical condition(s), provide any care needed within the scope of practice, and then based on findings make referrals to other health care resources that could assist and be beneficial to the patient while remaining at home. The program is to assist these patients in being able to remain in the home longer or until the time that a long term care bed is available.”