Social Work
The social worker maintains the personal care home’s waiting list and maintains contact with applicants and their families. The social worker coordinates our admissions and supports the new resident and family through the transition process, helping them adjust to their new environment.
Social Workers:
- Provide practical and or emotional support to residents and their loved ones at times of loss and transition
- Help family and residents navigate through the health care system and government social programs.
- Assist in clarifying concerns related to placement
- Help residents access services and resources
- Help explore expectations about placement
Social workers help ensure the voices of residents and their loved ones are heard, and work to strengthen communication between residents, loved ones and staff.
If you have and questions, you can contact the Social Work Department at Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg at (204) 336-4125.
What you need to know about personal care home eligibility
Most of us don’t like to think about placing ourselves or a loved one into a personal care home (PCH) or long-term care facility, so it comes as no surprise that it’s a process often avoided until every feasible alternative has been exhausted.
What may surprise you, however, is that the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) is just as likely to view placement into long term care (LTC) as a “last resort” as you are.
The WRHA has long held a “home is best” philosophy focused on helping people to remain independent and live in their own communities for as long as possible. Research shows that this offers a better road toward the maintenance of good health and quality-of-life. At home, you are in your own space, can sleep in your own bed, have meals at your own table, and be as independent as possible.
In fact, placement in LTC is only considered when the client can no longer be supported by formal and informal community supports and all options for community living have been reviewed.
Formal supports might include the WRHA Home Care program, private care, housing with additional services, meal delivery programs, community agencies, transportation services, primary care networks and many others. Informal supports include the invaluable efforts of family, friends, neighbours and faith communities, to name a few.
Despite these supports, there may come a time when people can no longer manage in their home and require the 24-hour nursing care available in a PCH (sometimes called a “nursing home”).
In order to be eligible for LTC, clients must meet Manitoba residency requirements, require 24-hour nursing support/care, be medically, functionally and behaviorally stable, and consent to move to LTC. The majority of the costs for these services is paid by the provincial government, with the client paying a daily charge based on income as assessed by the Canada Revenue Agency. The Manitoba government reviews these charges on an annual basis.
The WRHA funds and oversees the operations of 38 LTC facilities, including 37 personal care homes (PCH) and the St. Amant health care facility. In total, there are over 5,200 PCH beds in Winnipeg.
The WRHA’s Long Term Care Access Centre (LTCAC) is responsible for determining eligibility for LTC, ensuring clients have access to LTC services that are most appropriate to their needs, approving LTC applications and for maintaining waiting lists for PCHs, supportive housing and LTC
The actual paneling process is relatively straightforward and easy to understand. Long Term Care Navigators from the LTCAC work together with their Home Care and hospital partners to assist with problem-solving. A consult can be requested by the Home Care Case Coordinator to the LTC Navigator. The Navigator will compile and complete the LTC application with the client and their primary care provider. A medical assessment will be requested from the client’s physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Once that is complete, the LTC Navigator will panel and approve the application.
The client will be placed on the wait list for their preferred long term care facility. Clients being paneled to a facility directly from hospital will be placed in the first available bed that meets their care needs. This is an interim placement until a bed in the facility of their choice is available. We recognize this may not be ideal for some, but it is important to ensure there are hospital beds available for patients with immediate medical needs.
Clients being paneled from home can most often stay home with the appropriate supports until a bed at the care home of their choosing is available. The Navigator will maintain regular contact with the client to ensure they remain stable at home. If that changes, they may need to be placed from the community into the first available bed that meets their care needs. Our goal is to have as many clients as possible transitioned to a PCH from their home and community as opposed from hospital.
If you have questions about the process for assessment of eligibility for PCH, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Home Care Case Coordinator or the WRHA Long Term Care Access Centre.
In addition, The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba has complied an online reference for frequently asked questions about PCHs. It’s available at https://www.ltcam.mb.ca/pch-faq.htm.
More information is also available from the WRHA’s Long Term Care Access Centre at 204-940-8670, or by visiting wrha.mb.ca/long-term-care/.
Resident Admission Process
For individuals interested in applying for admission to the Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg, please contact the Winnipeg Home Care Intake office at (204) 788-8330 to initiate the process for personal care home placement. If you reside in a rural area, you must contact your local Home Care Office.
An Application Assessment form including a medical report from your physician will need to be completed. You will be able to state your choice of Personal Care Home on the front page of the application form. We encourage you to contact us and request a tour of the Home where you will have an opportunity to ask questions about the Home and the programs and services that are available.
Once completed, your application will then be submitted to the Long Term Care Access Centre Panel for review and confirmation of your eligibility for admission to a Personal Care Home.
Your name will be placed on the Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg waiting list and your application will be sent to the Home according to your panel date. Once we have received your application, we will contact you or your family to arrange a pre-admission visit in order to review the level of care and service that is required, and to discuss arrangements for admission.
If you have any questions about the waiting period or the admission, we encourage you to contact the Social Work Department at Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg at (204) 336-4125 and (204) 336-4103.
Helpful Links:
Middlechurch Home Ladder of Communication
Province of Manitoba Residential Charge Calculator
Personal Care Homes operating in Winnipeg
WRHA Personal Health Information Act (PHIA)
Government of Canada – Service Canada
Application for the Guaranteed Income Supplement – Service Canada