We're always thinking of how we can support people in ways that increase their independence and that help folks stretch their budgets. Earlier this year, CLW submitted a proposal to MCCSS for a pilot project on providing a new service to people: remote support.
The idea was to offer micro bursts of support from a remote location for people who needed assistance from CLW, but not necessarily in-person. Possible applications included: task prompts by text, med monitoring via video call, smart device monitoring/checking, assistance with tasks like grocery list preparation, etc.; the list goes on. Although the Ministry was supportive of this approach, there were unfortunately no funds to apply to our proposal.
Convinced of the importance of this service, we pivoted our model to be "fee-for-service," meaning that people could purchase the support using their passport (or other) funds. We challenged ourselves to build an approach that was affordable and highly customizable for people and families, yet sustainable for us as an organization, meaning that ultimately it would need to be self-funding.
At this stage we're ready to receive requests from families to try the service out. We think that many will be surprised at how inexpensive the option can be, and we've included a cost calculator right on our website. If it's successful, we plan on expanding it as far as demand allows, which will mean that people can get more support at a better price and in a way that promotes independence. It also has the potential benefit of creating new positions for our valued employees. Ideally, we want to offer this as a service that runs 24/7/365 in the future.
You can learn more about remote supports by checking out our new page here.