Kids Come First helps vulnerable families during COVID-19 where they need it most – at home

Ottawa, May 5, 2020 — Six partners of the Kids Come First Health Team are taking quick action to keep kids safe and provide home care to families who need it most. These are temporary but necessary emergency measures required in response to COVID-19.

CHEO and Roger Neilson House are trialing home-based respite services for the first time, including palliative care nursing services and care assessments, as well as in-home companionship to families with children who have medically complex needs. Some families have chosen to reduce or suspend community or home-based services due to their concerns that access to PPE is inconsistent across the region. And physical distancing keeps their personal support networks away, too. Having fewer supports increases the risk of family caregiver burnout and the potential for hospital admissions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, home care providers are expected to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), just like they would in a hospital. To address families’ expressed concerns about this, CHEO, Bayshore Home Care Solutions, CommuniCare Therapy, ParaMed and SE Health are now providing PPE to frontline home care staff to put everyone’s safety first.

CHEO is also providing PPE coaching to Kids Come First Health Team home care and community partners. Knowing how to use protective gear properly is as important as having access to it.

Quotes:

“COVID-19 isolation is such a struggle for families like ours that are trying to keep our medically fragile children safe while managing without many of our regular supports. In working with our Kids Come First partners we’ve developed a program to help those families with the highest need with focusing on minimizing risk while still recognizing the potential for exposure.” —Stephanie Paravan, parent of a child with complex care needs

“There have been challenges securing the personal protective equipment needed for home care staff to continue to provide care to patients and families. This wonderful partnership with Kids Come First means that those service providers working with children now have access to the supplies and equipment they need to provide the safest care possible in childrens’ homes. We are thrilled that this is possible so that are no disruptions to families at this difficult time.” —Catherine Butler, Vice-President, Home & Community Care & Human Resources, Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)

“It is essential to maintain services in the home to support children and families, now more so than ever families need the support from specialized caregivers to keep their kids safe at home.” —Megan Wright, Executive Director Roger Neilson House, Director Palliative Care CHEO

“With the pressure for resources mounting across the health care system, CHEO heard a need from families and partners for PPE, PPE education and respite. So, we put our heads together to find a way to help. Having the foundation for the Kids Come First Health Team in place, we are able to collectively identify needs, pool resources and act.” —Monique Lugli, Vice-President, Child Development and Community Services, CHEO

Media contact

Paddy Moore, CHEO
pmoore@cheo.on.ca, 613-769-5553

About Kids Come First Health Team

Kids Come First Health Team includes 61 partner organizations, 1,089 physicians, and 2,535 individuals who are committed to making child and youth health services easier to obtain; helping eastern Ontario’s Ontario Health Teams provide care to children and youth; and to supporting physicians and clinical leaders who provide care to children, youth and families. Our initial priority populations include: children and youth with mental health and addictions as well as those with medically complex needs.

About CHEO

Dedicated to the best life for every child and youth, CHEO is a global leader in pediatric health care and research. Based in Ottawa, CHEO includes a hospital, children’s treatment centre, school and research institute, with satellite services located throughout Eastern Ontario. CHEO provides excellence in complex pediatric care, research and education. We are committed to partnering with families and the community to provide exceptional care — where, when and how it’s needed. CHEO is a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners working to create a high quality, standardized and coordinated approach to pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Every year, CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.