Safe at home – thanks to Bruyère Helpline
Help at the touch of a button
Kathy Banville loves to sing.
Every Tuesday you’ll find her practicing at the Churchill Senior Citizens Centre with the senior citizen’s choir, The Bells and Bows. On Thursday nights, she practices with the choir at Britannia United Church as they prepare for Sunday service.
Kathy also loves her apartment where she’s been living for over 30 years.
“It was a brand new building when I moved in,” she recalls. “I love it here, all my furniture, family pictures, everything is right here with me.”
“I’m able to stay at home because of Bruyère’s Helpline,” says Kathy. “This little button connects me to the help I need,” she says, pointing to the red fob hanging on a lanyard within reach of her fingertips.
Blind and physically disabled since birth, Kathy was confined to an institution against her will during her adolescent years.
“The doctors put me in a place where they thought I could go to school, but really it was a place for the mentally challenged,” she says. “When my mother realized what happened she cried for three solid days.”
Kathy found a mentor, friend and guardian angel in Barbara Lawson Reesor, a physiotherapist at the institution where Kathy lived.
“Barbara used to take me up to eat lunch on a different floor. The food was much better there. She looked out for me,” says Kathy.
After eight years of being institutionalized, Barbara got Kathy into a group home. Kathy then moved to where she lives today.
“Bruyère is proud to have Kathy as a client,” says Mary Chan, manager of Helpline. “Kathy uses the system to its fullest. She is able to communicate with us, hands free and ask for help whenever she needs it.”
“Not long ago, my wheelchair got pinned in my newly renovated kitchen,” remembers Kathy. “I couldn’t move, but I didn’t panic. I pushed the button for Helpline and someone came within minutes. The system works perfectly.”
HELPING PEOPLE STAY HOME
“Helpline is a not-for-profit service that helps seniors or disabled people live an independent life in the comfort of their own home,” says Ms. Chan. “All the fees we collect are reinvested into patient care at Bruyère. Plus, we rely on dedicated volunteers to help us run our business. We offer a 24-hour, bilingual service and we serve about 1,500 people across Ottawa and the Gatineau area.”
“I have lots of friends and I like to be out and about,” Kathy says “But I also enjoy my home and I’m happy Bruyère helps me feel safe and secure.”