Grant: Operating Grant: Voluntary Sector Knowledge Mobilization Support Grant

1) The anticipated target audience who will benefit from Nav-CARE are individuals, residing in the Towns of Teulon and Stonewall, Rural Municipalities of Rosser, Rockwood, Woodlands, and St. Laurent, specifically clients who may be lonely, have a chronic condition or is in declining health; and volunteers who gain valuable connections and share passions. While the program is age-friendly and recognizes the need of support for all ages, to date most clients are elderly, living in the rural area, and in need of support due to loneliness or chronic illness. 2) The rationale for implementing the Nav-CARE program in our region: Nav-CARE was developed using evidence-based research conducted in rural palliative care and is an adaptable, nationally established program. This research recognized that: a) rural older persons living at home were not receiving the support needed, particularly when living in the transition between chronic illness and palliative care, b) there were many resources in rural communities that few people knew about, c) barriers for volunteers included the lack of opportunities to become connected to older persons who needed help. 3) The objectives of the “Nav-CARE implementation and support in SWDPC region” are: a) build upon the unique role of specially trained volunteers to provide early assistance to persons living with declining health; b) help locate local services and resources to help manage declining health. This leads to the reduction of health care system pressure when the situation simply requires connecting individuals to services that already exist; c) assist with navigating available resources to allow individuals to live in their homes longer.