Health & Wellness Magazine Community Of Caring - Summer 2019 | Page 7

YES WE As you’ll read later in this magazine, the group’s reputation as a service provider is unique. From full-time nursing staff, social workers, certified Canadian Human Resources Professionals, and dedicated in-house counsel, they offer a scope of professional services that are unmatched by any other service provider. Brent Meade, VP of Care Partnerships, puts it best: “We do that because if you want to deliver quality services across a full spectrum of client needs, then you can’t cut corners on what you can do. Simply put, you can’t compromise quality – there are people’s lives at stake.” Meade adds “Looking beyond 2019 we know we have more work to do. Our population is aging and shrinking. The consolidation of populations across the island into major towns will result in smaller communities being left with few people to care for those who remain. As a province, as a people, we’ll need to get better in how we deploy resources to care for the most vulnerable among us. It will require that we re-think the principles and policies that are currently in place, but we need to remember that we’re all in this together.” Remote monitoring, telehealth, telepresence, communal living, these are just some of the options we will have to face as we attempt to balance the provision of care to vulnerable persons; the availability of labour; and the fiscal capacity of our provincial government. They’re issues that seem remote until your mom is sick in a small outport community and you wonder who is going to look after her and how they’ll do it. CAN CAREGIVERSNL.COM BLUESKYFAMILYCARE.COM MOMENTUMSUPPORT.CA WEAREAURELIA.CA These aren’t hypothetical situations, they’re inevitabilities – and President Whelan says “We’re ready for them. Since 1996 we’ve moved from a small paper-based model of care to a modern and sophisticated organization that delivers world class services right here on the island. We aren’t foolish enough to think we can predict what the world will look like, but we’re confident enough to know that we’ll adapt to a changing world while still knowing how to make a good cup of tea.” 7