It seems that COVID-19 is all anyone is thinking about these days, and it makes sense. It’s a global threat that has been brought to the local level like nothing we’ve ever seen. Not only has it affected every aspect of our lives, it has affected our sense of safety.

Each of us brings our own reality to COVID-19, our own age, medical history, living circumstances. Many of the people that Carefor supports are among the most vulnerable to it. These are our elderly neighbours, who often live alone and have underlying health conditions. They often cannot leave their homes to receive required medical care, which is why they need visiting nurses like Jovie Velasco.

By treating people in their homes, Jovie and her fellow Carefor nurses are keeping our seniors out of the hospital. She will be the first to tell you that we provide more than just health care, especially in times like this. Our team of nurses offer social connection and comfort to people struggling with social isolation and feelings of uncertainty.

“We aim to give our patients the best care and some sort of reassurance that their essential health care needs are being met during this challenging time,” she says.

Carefor Nursing Manager Sean Sudbrink stresses that community health care delivery has never been more important than now: “Our staff are able to safely meet the care needs of our community members in the safety of their homes during a time of fear and isolation. In many cases our nurses’ caring approach is the only real contact many have with the outside world.”

That said, it’s thanks to experienced and educated nurses like Jovie who are able to adapt and deliver high-quality health care services. Knowing that advanced wound care is required to treat nearly 60% of Carefor’s nursing clientele, Jovie was inspired to continue her education in this area to better meet the needs of our community.

Thanks to Carefor’s generous donors, Jovie was able to get the support she needed to fund her yearlong NSWOCC course. “It took away my financial worries while I was raising my young daughter.”

After completing the competitive program, Jovie says she noticed a difference in the quality of care she was able to give to clients: “I can give more to my patients and also provide support to other nurses.”

“Sending nurses to improve their education has helped us improve quality care and elevate wound care, which means it helps us heal wounds faster,” she adds. “It’s amazing that donors have given us the opportunity to further our education and help us continue to deliver exceptional quality of care.”

Sean echoes this statement: “The best means we have to [deliver the highest quality of care to our clients] is through continued staff education opportunities on the most up to date and best practice guidelines.  This however comes with a significant cost, which we are able to offset with bursary funds through generous contributions.”

Thank you to our donors for continuing to support our community nurses. We are grateful for these donations as we know continuous learning and advancement in specialized areas of nursing helps us deliver exceptional care. Your continued contributions help us prepare for the next health challenge.