Providence Care is commited to providing the highest level of care possible while treating every individual with diginity and compassion. Helping to answer some of the more frequently asked questions about Providence Care and the services it provides is part of this mission. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding Providence Care and its services.

Q: What is complex continuing care?
A: Complex continuing care provides continuing, medically complex and specialized services to both young and old, sometimes over extended periods of time. Such care also includes support to families who have palliative or respite care needs. It plays an integral role in the treatment offered at Providence Care’s St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital.

Q: What is long-term care? 
A: Long-term care homes are designed for people who are unable to live independently in the community, and require the availability of 24-hour nursing care. In general, long-term care homes offer higher levels of personal care and support than those typically offered by either retirement homes or supportive housing. Providence Care’s long-term care program is located at Providence Manor. Providence Manor also hosts the Attendant Care Outreach Program (ACOP), which provides assistance with everyday activities in the client’s home, including personal support and homemaking services.

Q: What is palliative care? 
A: Palliative care is treatment meant to relieve the symptoms of an illness, rather than cure them. The goal of palliative care is to provide the care needed toallow the patient to live more comfortably in the final stages of life, through a focus on personal, social, and spiritual needs. Providence Care’s palliative care services are located at St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital site, and offer six private rooms that are beautifully decorated and grouped around a fully-equipped family room.

Q: What is specialized mental health care? 
A: Providence Care’s specialized Mental Health care program provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. Individuals with serious persistent mental illnesses, who have difficulty living independently or functioning effectively within their community, can access specialized mental health care at Providence Care’s Mental Health Services site. Providence Care also operates a number of community locations across southeastern Ontario which provide specific mental health care services.

Q: What is geriatric medicine? 
A: Geriatric medicine provides care for the elderly with complex health needs, addressing the physical, social and psychological aspects of the aging process. Providence Care’s geriatric medicine services are located at the St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital Site.

Q: What is Rehabilitation?
A: Rehabilitation involves returning the highest level of functionality to people with physical, behavioural and cognitive illnesses and limitations. Providence Care’s Rehabilitation services/programs are based at the St. Mary’s of The Lake Hospital Site. Providence Care staff also provide rehabilitation in acute-care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community settings throughout the region.

Q: How many sites does Providence Care have, and why so many?
A: Providence Care operates out of three main sites: Providence Manor, Mental Health Services, and St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital, all in Kingston, as well as numerous community locations in southeastern Ontario. In the past decade, Providence Care has grown from two main sites to three, more than doubling its staff, budget and range of programs and services. This growth was a result of government-directed hospital restructuring, which saw the transfer of specialized mental health services and forensics to the Providence Care corporation.

Q: How do I get to any one of Providence Care’s three main sites?
A: Maps to Providence Care's Mental Health Services site, St Mary's of the Lake Hospital site, and Providence Manor site can be found here.

Q: Where do I go when I arrive at one of the three main Providence Care sites? 
A: Upon arrival at a Providence Care site, please make your way to one of the following locations:
·       At Mental Health Services, a 24-hour switchboard operator can be found inside the main entrance, on the right.
·        At St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital Site, the Find Your Way Desk is be found on the right, just inside the Union Street entrance. It is staffed during the day by volunteers. During off hours, the security office is located immediately to the right of the Union Street entrance.
·        At Providence Manor, reception is located inside the main entrance, to the right.

Q: What are the visiting hours? 
A: Please feel free to contact our nursing staff for visiting hours and details regarding your visit to any of our three main sites. Speaking directly with our staff provides increased opportunity to meet specific needs and requests, including modification of daytime visiting hours as necessary.

Q: Are mobile devices, such as cell phones or blackberries permitted in Providence Care facilities?
A: While we do allow mobile devices such as cell phones and blackberries in our facilities, we do ask that visitors, staff, and patients limit the use of such devices when possible. Please be aware that particular areas and/or departments at any of our three main sites may have specific regulations regarding mobile devices. 

Q: Which counties/areas does Providence Care serve?
A: The current catchment area includes nine counties in southeastern Ontario: Peterborough, Northumberland, Haliburton, Hastings, Prince Edward, Lennox & Addington, Frontenac, Lanark, and Renfrew.

Q: How can I access family support services?
A: If you are in need of support, please do not hesitate to speak with a member of your care team about the resources available, or contact our Spiritual Care department here.

Q: What are the first steps in establishing care for a member of my family who is not already a patient?
A: Most of the admissions to our care are done through referrals from family physicians, other hospitals, or Community Care Access Centres. The best way to establish care for a family member is to first consult your family doctor. Contact information for Providence Care sites can be found here.

Q: What is the age range of Providence Care patients?
A: Providence Care serves people aged 16 and up, dependant on specific programs and services.

Q: How is Providence Care associated with Queen’s University?
A: Providence Care is a university hospital affiliated with Queen’s University. Many of our medical staff hold joint positions with the university. We also have partnerships with other academic institutions, including St. Lawrence College. Our collaboration, which includes research studies, contributes to the development of new treatments and the training of tomorrow’s health-care providers. 

Q: Is a client/patient allowed to refuse to have their medical information disclosed for research purposes?
A: Yes. We require documented consent from all patients/clients/residents before allowing their medical information for education or research purposes. 

Q: What is your confidentiality policy?
A: Providence Care is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information in accordance with existing legislation and public expectations for privacy. Please read our Privacy Statement by clicking on Privacy at the bottom of our website home page.

Q: What is “Together We Can”? 
A: The largest health care fundraising campaign in the history of southeastern Ontario was launched June 11 at Springer Market Square in Downtown Kingston. The Together We Can campaign will raise money for hospital redevelopment, equipment, research, and staff education at all three university hospitals of Kingston – Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston General Hospital and Providence Care.

Q: I see references to the ‘Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul’ on your website. Is Providence Care a Catholic organization?A: Providence Care serves our whole community. Our Founders are the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, and we continue their mission of providing high quality, compassionate care to those in need. Providence Care is one of 14 health care providers sponsored by the Catholic Health Corporation of Ontario. For more information about our heritage, click here. 

Q: How many patients/residents/clients does Providence Care see each year?
A: In 2007-2008, the total of the Providence Care Outpatient and Community/Outreach visits numbered 79, 765. In addition, we had 676 inpatient admissions at St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital site, 261 inpatient admissions at Mental Health Services site, and 105 resident admissions at Providence Manor.

Q: What is the difference between an inpatient and an outpatient?
A: An inpatient is a patient who occupies an available staffed bed in a hospital and remains overnight, while an outpatient visits the hospital during the day and has separate living arrangements.

Q: What number should I call if I have more questions, and would like to speak to someone at Providence Care directly?
A: Contact information for Providence Care can be found here.