This program has been developed by Health Canada First Nations and Inuit Division.

This Home Nursing program is put into place by three bands in this area with all three bands having agreed to work together to implement the Home Nursing program. The bands are Pavilion, Bridge River, and Cayoose Creek First Nations; these bands have hired Charlene William to implement the Nursing program.

Upon conception and integration, the project had formed a committee tying two members from each band to make decisions and provide discussion. Of the Committee Members, Leo Porter and Iraleigh Ritchie were from Pavilion, Trudy Redan and Marge Grant were from the Cayoose Band and from Bridge River Band, Fay Michel and Bradley Jack were involved and, for their duration, the group held regular committee meetings.

Mary St. Dennis was the initial "Home Care Nurse," and her job responsibilities were to conduct Client Assessments and set up Care Plans to best help. At the time students were receiving training as Certified Home Support Workers, they had finished their training on February 20th, 2004. Health Canada had approved the funding for the program and TFN conducted work on having the funding in place for a start date of April 1, 2004. This initiative has since taken root and we to this day implement the necessary portions of at Home Care.

Essential Services will include: Client Assessments, Managed Care, Referrals and Linkages to Services and Other Care Providers (we will work with other service providers in this area). Home Care Nursing is to include, chronic, acute, palliative or rehabilitative care needs.

Limited services to include: assessment, direct care, case management, health teaching, support consultation, liaison and referral. Home Care nursing will be provided to the home of the client in need of care and/or at the Band office. Home Support Services, under the supervision of the Home and Community Care Coordinator or the Home Care nurse, will include: bathing, grooming, dressing, care of bed bound clients including turning, back rubs, routine skin care, and mobility assistance.

In-home respite will be based on Client Assessment and will be coordinated with other health care providers. The goal of this service is to provide safe care of clients in short time intervals to support the caregiver so that she/he can continue to provide care for the client and therefore delay or prevent the need for institutional care. A limit of time allowed for in-home respite will be determined on a case by case basis by the Home Care Nurse. This service will be based on a number of factors, being: the number of clients requiring home care in the community and the amount of time spent caring for them. TFN does have some medical supplies on hand; if anyone needs supplies such as dressing changes or medical equipment a prescription from their doctor for approval of these supplies will be required, if any of our supplies are used they will need to be replenished.