Just weeks ago, Andrea Lacombe was facing a health crisis, compounded by being homeless, that could have easily sent her spiraling back into a long-term opioid addiction she has fought hard to kick.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Article content
Article content
The 61-year-old Chatham woman had been battling pneumonia for several months and ended up hospitalized in the intensive care unit after aspirating in her sleep in September. Fortunately, she found her barely breathing and called 911 and she made it through.
Having lost her apartment and all her possessions during her battle with pneumonia, Lacombe was living in a local motel wondering what her future held.
“I was really, really down and out – desperate,” she said.
But, fate had other plans for Lacombe thanks to a new, innovative initiative called Pathway2Care (P2C) that helps homeless people access essential medical and social supports.
P2C is a collaboration of partners across the Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Care Team that includes Reach Out Chatham-Kent (ROCK), the Municipality of Chatham-Kent Housing Services, the Canadian Mental Health Association of Lambton-Kent (CMHA), the Chatham -Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) and the Chatham-Kent EMS.
Advertisement 3
Article content
“The P2C program supports individuals transitioning from hospital to the community by ensuring they have the resources needed for their recovery, reducing the likelihood of hospital readmissions,” states a media release.
The team, made up of a community paramedic, housing stability worker, and Peer-2-Peer leaders, collaborate to address both immediate health concerns and the social determinants of health, such as housing and emotional support, the release added.
The program launched Sept 4, with an outreach clinic Wednesday afternoons at ROCK’s location at 39 Richmond St. in Chatham where the P2C team provides drop-in health, housing and peer support. The clinic has connected with more than 40 people offering support and connections to local health and social services, the release said.
Advertisement 4
Article content
The expansion of the program on Sept. 30, to include an in-patient hospital collaboration, couldn’t have come at a better time for Lacombe, who is among eight people who have been helped to transition from hospital to community care. She is also receiving personalized health, housing and peer support services.
Lacombe said having staff from social services, ROCK and a community paramedic come to her home “was wonderful, because I was depressed, I still didn’t feel the best. They took all the pressure off.
“They’re like three angles that came upon me,” she laughed.
However, Lacombe pauses when asked where she would be without this program.
“Honestly. . . probably dead,” she said.
Being on methadone, Lacombe fears she would have returned to using opioids, which stemmed from prescribed painkillers following a motor vehicle crash years ago, because she was so down and out and feeling hopeless.
Advertisement 5
Article content
“I would have just been stuck in that cycle of homelessness.”
Now, she is taking part in counseling and looks forward to regular visits from her “angels.”
Peter Morassutti, manager of mobile integrated health with Chatham-Kent EMS, credits the dedication of everyone involved in the initiative for “helping clients find the stability they need to move forward.
“Without the collaboration between all partners involved, and the frontline staff making this initiative a reality, this would not have been made possible, nor would it be making such a huge impact in Chatham-Kent,” he said.
ROCK executive director Renee Geniole said the organization is grateful for the opportunity to work with community partners in creating safety nets for people experiencing homelessness in new and innovative ways.
Advertisement 6
Article content
“Surrounding those with complex needs with such a rich and supportive team will have impacts that we can never fully realize,” she said.
“Chatham-Kent has become a leader in collaborative work, and the P2C team is a perfect example of how many organizations can come together and take care of all community members in the manner they deserve,” she added.
Jennifer Crowell, Chatham-Kent’s supportive housing supervisor, said, “This program will have significant impact on the lives of the members of our community.”
Lacombe said she is feeling content and happy these days, especially being able to have her grandchildren spend weekends with her now.
“It feels great to come back to a normal life,” she said. “I’m grateful for the people who helped me get through this.”
Lacombe hopes the P2C program will also have an impact on people who may think those who are homeless and have substance use problems “are all lost causes, because we’re not.”
Article content