“I hope that the good that Acclaim Health does always continues. I feel teary when I think back on what I have experienced, and I am so glad that I have had this opportunity.” These are the words of Dave Page, a 20-year volunteer with Acclaim Health. Looking for a purpose in retirement, Dave found Acclaim and a win-win way of helping both himself and others that has enriched his life and that of many who have become friends.
Over 25,000 people were helped last year by Acclaim Health home care nurses, personal service workers (PSW) and volunteers. From its origins in Halton more than 90 years ago to the present day, United Way agency Acclaim Health has provided trusted home care to our region.
“Acclaim Health feels like a warm quilt wrapped around our family,” says Anne, whose husband Peter is living with dementia.
Acclaim Health
Don and Carol
Acclaim Health provides dementia care, palliative care and end of life care in the patient’s home or retirement residence. They also deliver post-surgical care. Increasingly, there is recognition that hospitals are for acute cases only. More and more, care is migrating to the home, through patient and family choice as well as changing models for care delivery. As in so many other fields, the pandemic accelerated this trend. Non-communal settings mean less exposure to infectious diseases, and that was writ large in the world of COVID-19.
Before the pandemic, families like Anne and Peter’s living with dementia relied upon Acclaim Health’s Adult Day programmes, which provided a safe space for the patient and gave the family some respite. Peter used to come home from “The Club”, as patients call the programme, higher than a kite each week. When the pandemic was at its worst, these programs had to close temporarily to keep club members safe. Thanks to its membership in the United Way, Acclaim Health was able to get funds for an in-home respite programme. “This is where the United Way really stepped up,” says Community Engagement Director Melissa Cameron. “The funds came fast and it had an enormous impact. The Federal government trusted the United Way to know where the needs were and who was best to address them. Thanks to the United Way ecosystem, they were able to be really nimble and responsive. We were part of a continuum of supporting agencies the United Way was able to mobilize. These challenges were like nothing we had seen before. It really showed how the United Way and its network of agencies like us can be flexible and respond to the rapidly changing needs of the community even in an emergency like this one.”
After a major fundraising drive, Acclaim has recently opened a new eight bed overnight centre where dementia patients can come for a more sustained social break, and to give their caregivers some respite to recharge and be able to continue to support them. Named after Oakville Dr. Patty Plaxton, Patty's Place is a much needed and welcomed addition to the support ecosystem for those suffering with dementia and their families.
For other clients, like Bonnie, who is partially paralyzed and lives with fibromyalgia, Acclaim Health provides home exercise visits. These were in-person before the pandemic, and provided much-needed human contact. Even delivered virtually though, they are critical to the quality of life for many. “The home exercise programme has got me back into moving again,” shared Bonnie. “Every Wednesday morning, I do the exercises with Leanne, the programme facilitator, and continue to do them throughout the week. It makes a big difference, just being encouraged to keep it up. There is a recommended type of exercise for me because I am in a wheelchair,” explains Bonnie. “We only do ten repetitions on each side, but I am confident enough now to do more than that when I’m by myself.”
At the same time, as more care shifts to in-home, there are new risks introduced, as caregivers need to be self-sufficient, since they don’t have the team support available in institutions. Acclaim Health’s long experience in in-home care means their staff and volunteers are well-equipped to deal with whatever contingencies present themselves.
One of the key issues elderly people face is isolation, something younger people also experienced in the pandemic, and now know what it is like. Even Acclaim Health had to temporarily suspend its volunteer visiting, but visits from Nurses and PSWs continued throughout the pandemic, and where possible, they assisted virtually.
As volunteer visiting is resuming, Dave urges others to consider Acclaim Health. “People may be very hesitant to do this stuff, but it is very rewarding,” shared Dave. “Give it a shot; I would never have thought I would have done this.”
Volunteer matches are based on shared interests to ensure a positive and meaningful experience for both the client and the volunteer. Acclaim Health offers support to all of their volunteers, even if they’ve been with them for 20 years, ensuring this experience is just as meaningful to them! “The support you give the volunteers is huge; it is really special,” shared Dave. “Wonderful training, the team is always in contact with you, and the supervision has been excellent. It is an exceptional way that Acclaim Health treats their volunteers.”
Acclaim Health staff and volunteers provide emotional support along with medical support. That includes bereavement support, all the more necessary in the absence of traditional mourning rituals and gatherings necessitated by the pandemic.
For Kevin and Muriel, turning to Acclaim Health after they each lost their spouse has led to a transition to a new life, opening up to new relationships. “Nina made me realize the way I was feeling, completely non-functional, was very normal,” said Muriel. “I was in a very bad place but Acclaim Health saved my life.”
Acclaim Health
Kevin and Muriel
“I was unstable for about three months,” said Kevin. “But then (through the Acclaim support program) I connected with Muriel and I began to see that I had choices to get out of the darker path I was on. Joy began to come out of the program.”
Through the pandemic, Acclaim Health left no one behind. Indeed, there were even benefits, as transportation barriers were no longer a factor and online support groups were established. Through these groups, patients were able to connect with others, and the groups provided support for families dealing with members living with dementia. Acclaim Health is an essential part of a whole array of United Way agencies dedicated to helping the people of Oakville deal with unexpected challenges with the support of their community. A healthy community needs organizations like Acclaim Health to be there when they are needed.
“Acclaim Health has helped me more than anything ever in my life has, it has given me the hope, strength and the courage to see my way through all this, and Kevin is the bonus,” said Muriel. “The transformation in our lives and I’m sure many other peoples’ lives through Acclaim Health is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I know who I will be donating to for the rest of my life. So, thank you.”
You can support Acclaim Health by donating to the United Way.
Many of us have charities we support for personal reasons. However, there is a wide variety of needs in our community. The United Way goes to great lengths to identify these needs and find and assist vital agencies with good processes to address them. United Way funds mean these agencies can spend more of their resources helping Oakville residents and less of them looking for money. As donors, we can’t know the best way to spread our donations around, but donations of all sizes from many Oakvilleans can be turned to their best effect through the United Way. And who knows when we, or someone close to us, will need help from one of these services. Our donations to the United Way ensure they will all be there for us if that day comes.
