Community paramedic teams

Responds to 911 calls or scheduled visits to address many non-life-threatening, non time-critical calls that can be handled without transporting to hospital. Paramedics on this team:

• Perform home visits to conduct medical assessments and address underlying medical issues
• Provide education and make referrals to community agencies or providers better suited to needs
• Conduct routine-based remote monitoring for early detection of emergency incidents or escalation in medical conditions
• Help navigate local options to help with patient needs
• Help with medicine or chronic disease management
• Take part in a patient's coordinated care plan with other health professionals or social service agencies

When a 911 call is determined not to be life-threatening and not time-critical, an emergency medical dispatcher will transfer the call to one of our emergency communication nurses. The nurse will ask for your health card number to access your files and continue to ask further medical questions. The certified emergency registered nurse is located in the Niagara EMS dispatch centre and:

• Has the ability to understand your immediate needs by asking questions based on the highest standard of care
• Has a solid understanding of the health care options available in your community
• Will provide medical advice or instructions
• Will direct you where to go to best meet your needs — for example, a walk-in clinic, pharmacy or your family physician
• Is embedded within the ambulance communication centre, allowing seamless integration of health resources
• May send a paramedic to provide further assessment on scene

To learn more, watch the emergency communication nurse video.

Responds to 911 calls to better address the demand for non-life-threatening falls from ground level in real time. Staffed with a paramedic and an occupational therapist, the team will:

• Provide outreach to retirement homes and assisted living homes to help decrease the number of non-life-threatening 911 calls
• Visit patients based on paramedic referrals
• Perform working medical assessments, address underlying medical issues, and use available lifting equipment to safely lift patients off the ground
• Check for fall risks and assess mobility, daily function and home safety to help prevent future falls
• Consult with Seniors Services and EMS to determine additional needs, such as equipment recommendations or seniors fall prevention sessions

Responds to 911 calls to better address the demand for non-life-threatening mental health and addictions challenges in real time. The mental health nurse works with the paramedic to:

• Assess patients experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis, and find the best resource
• Begin transport to hospital when appropriate
• Assist in accessing in-person referrals or follow-ups with Niagara Region or other community programs
• Provide education

Respond to 911 calls and scheduled visits to address the needs of patients at end of life that can be handled without transporting to hospital. Paramedics on this team will:

• Perform medical assessments and provide comfortable end-of-life care
• Provide education and make connections to community or social service agencies and health care providers to address patient needs
• Work with community palliative teams to bridge potential gaps in care

Responds to many non-life-threatening, non time-critical calls for those unhoused that can be handled without transporting to hospital. The primary goal of this team is to bridge the gap in accessing fair primary care for those living rough in Niagara. Paramedics on this team will:

• Perform medical assessments and address underlying medical issues for the unhoused
• Provide education and make connections to community and social service agencies or health care providers to address patient needs
• Help navigate options in Niagara to help with patient needs
• Provide support and resources for individuals struggling with addiction
• Follow up with patients as needed