East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) has increased services for seniors in the Erin and Rockwood areas as part of a major refocusing of the agency.
After providing child and family services for 35 years, including EarlyON programs, EWCS has decided to pass that work on to another agency.
The new EarlyON Centre, located next to the new 49-space child care centre at Erin Public School, will continue programs previously offered by EWCS at All Saints Church and is open to all children up to the age of six.
The YMCA-YWCA of Guelph will operate the child care centre. The EarlyON operator has not been announced, but EWCS is working with the County of Wellington to transfer the services by Feb. 28.
“It was a really, really difficult decision for the board,” said Kari Simpson, CEO at EWCS.
While the agency is getting out of education services, it will continue to operate food banks in Erin and Rockwood, and will put a new emphasis on seniors, mental health, addictions and homelessness.
“Our core programs have changed, working with more vulnerable people in the community,” said Simpson.
“We’ve seen a huge rise, especially with youth homelessness, the dementia strategy for seniors, our outreach services and food banks.
“We’re finding people have a lot more needs. That’s where we’ve decided we need to put all our efforts.”
EWCS is supported by the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and is part of the Rural Wellington Health Links Network, which helps coordinate health care, social services and community support for people with complex issues.
With additional LHIN funding in August, EWCS expanded its adult day program for seniors from five to 10 hours a day, three days a week.
EWCS has partnered with the East Wellington Family Health Team to enable nursing care at the program for those with more complex health needs. The health team is also referring more clients to EWCS when there are social service needs.
The agency is also noticing an increase in early-onset dementia. Primary caregivers for seniors are needing additional support, so part of the EWCS dementia strategy is providing more help in the home.
“Some of the caregivers were having a hard time getting their loved one ready for when the bus comes to pick them up for the program,” said Simpson.
“So now we’ve hired personal support workers to go right out to the home in the morning, get the participant ready and up for the day so the caregiver doesn’t have to worry about that, and will bring them in to the program – or they get picked up.”
EWCS also now has a dedicated intake worker for the seniors program to help connect clients with help for mental health or addiction issues.
EWCS has partnered with Wellington County in the 20,000 homes campaign, a national effort focused on permanently housing 20,000 of Canada’s most vulnerable homeless people. It is also part of the Rural Emphasis strategy for youth homelessness.
“We are now a ‘door agency’, so anybody that is at risk of homelessness, or is actually homeless, they can come in to this office,” said Simpson.
“We will do an assessment, and with their permission will send that information to the county. The county is now keeping a list of those in need.
She added, “We try to work as a whole community to get those with the most complex care needs dealt with – and hopefully find them a home.
“Or at least if it’s mental health issues or addictions that are preventing them from keeping their home, we would get them into the right programs. We would advocate with their landlords and try to smooth over that relationship.”
In addition to the adult day program, EWCS also organizes recreational activities for active adults over age 55, and various support groups.
For more information, go to eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com.
