The Lac La Ronge Indian Band Home and Community Care Program was established in 1999. The vision of the program is to provide high quality Home care services to the band residents. Clients are referred to home and community care either by other health professionals, self, family or community members. The age range of clients that are referred are from birth to old age.

A Registered Nurse contacts the client within 48 hours in need of support and Care of Home Care services. Tasks are then distributed dependent on support or Care required and scope of practice needed for the care. The goal is to assist clients to live safely and independently as possible at home or to provide nursing services such as wound care management in the home so clients do not have to go to hospital.

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band Home and Community Care Program philosophical belief behind the vision statement is that:

• A person has greater independence and control over their lives in their own home than in a care facility.
• Most people would rather live at home and receive require services.
• Support traditionally provided by families and communities should remain if necessary supplemented.
• Services should assist the individual and community to avoid unnecessary dependents and retain maximum independence.
• Individuals and their supports should help identify their needs, establish goals. and develop plans to meet through the assessment process.
• A person has the right to accept or refuse and service recommended.
• The program should be continually looking for new ways and means of responding to identify needs in the community.
• The program should assist the client to access other health and social service.

Home Care services are provided in Kitsaki, Hall Lake , Grandmother’s Bay and Sucker River. The nurses visit the outlying communities weekly or more if need.

A Registered Nurse is responsible for initial assessments, case management, nursing duties and delegation of tasks to licensed practical nurses and home health aides.

Registered & Licensed Practical Nursing services that clients receive include health and medication monitoring, wound management, injections, catheter changes , oxygen, tracheotomy care, palliative care, communicating with and referring to physicians and other health care providers, ordering supplies and equipment, auto calving, planning and organizing Foot Care Clinics and other Elder Social outings.

Home Health Aides are delegated the following tasks by a Registered Nurse: personal care, home management, laundry, shopping, meal preparation, Range of Motion exercises, reassurance visits, simple dressing changes, escorting and translating for clients at appointments. They also assist at Foot Care Clinics and take Elders out for social outings. There are 3 home health aides in La Ronge and 1 in each of the outlying communities of Hall Lake, Sucker River, Little Red River Reserve and Grandmother’s Bay.

The Nursing Program Manager supervises Home and Community Care and Dietitian.

Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative:

Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative program is a proposal based funding that has allowed Lac La Ronge Indian Band Health Services to hire a Registered Dietitian to provide diabetes programming. Diabetes programming includes: Diabetes client care, tracking, one on one or group education, advocating on behalf of clients and prevention. Educational activities include sharing nutrition information, cooking sessions, exercise, monitoring health and demonstrating proper medication intake. The Registered Dietitian also works in partnership with health district, medical clinic and pharmacies to put on diabetes education network gathering and diabetes work shops.

Regularly scheduled “foot care clinic” are offered in each community by trained health staff.