Community Accident & Ailment Reduction
Education & Support (CARES) Program
WHAT IS COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE?
Put simply, it’s the return of the home visit from a medical provider without the necessity of calling 911. Our primary focus is preventing issues that may lead to a future or repeated hospitalization.
Scott Township Fire & EMS is providing a proactive approach to healthcare called Community Paramedicine through our Community Ailment/Accident Reduction, Education & Support (CARES) Program. Our CARES Program is part of a proven, state-wide Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) initiative to provide preventative services by certified Community Paramedics with the aim of reducing hospital readmissions by providing in-home assessments, care and coordination with other healthcare providers and area resources.
ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
The Scott Township Fire & EMS CARES Program was launched in late 2022 through a grant partnership with the Indiana Department of Health, and provides services to much of Vanderburgh County including the Scott Township Fire Territory (Scott & Armstrong Townships, including the Town of Darmstadt), as well as German Township, Perry Township and McCutchanville. Our program is currently cost-free to Vanderburgh County residents, and is funded from a variety of sources including state grants, Fire Territory funds and local area business donations.
WHY IT WORKS
During most medical emergencies, EMS providers are only able to spend a few minutes in a patient’s home environment before a decision must be made to either initiate transport to the hospital or perform a refusal of care if the patient declines treatment or transport – which usually isn’t enough time to fully determine or educate a patient about preventable issues like trip hazards, lack of transportation to doctors’ visits, unsafe medication practices, or countless other factors that commonly lead to repeated hospitalizations if left unaddressed. Additionally, patients being discharged from a hospitalization often find themselves in a “gray area” of either not qualifying for affordable assistance, or not even knowing where to start with the process of finding the most appropriate resource.
This is where a Community Paramedic can help. With a background in emergency medical services, extensive experience with area resources, and additional certifications in preventative medicine and chronic disease management, Community Paramedics have the unique ability to become the “missing link” in the healthcare chain between a patient, the hospital system, and local resources. We can advocate for the patient after they return home from the hospital by meeting them where they are to determine and address immediate needs, and spend the time needed to connect them to the appropriate resources and assistance for their specific situation in order to to prevent or reduce the need for additional hospitalizations.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Our CARES Program is staffed by paramedics that are specially-trained and certified to provide follow up guidance & care that involve these factors and more:
- Fall Prevention & Home Safety Inspections
- Post-Discharge Care Assistance
- Chronic Disease Management Education & Assistance
- Medication Safety Checks
- Home Health & Social Services Coordination
- Grab Bar Installations
- Smoke Alarm Installations
If you or someone you know needs assistance in any of the areas listed above, we’d love to help. Please click on the link at the top of the page to start a referral.
Please contact our team at cares@scottfire.org or call our office at (812) 435-6355 with any questions.
