THUNDER BAY — Despite the fact the district population is expected to remain stagnant over the coming decade, Superior North EMS predicts changing demographics will drive demand for service sharply upward.
The forecast is contained in the new long-term master plan for the organization, a draft of which was presented to Thunder Bay City Council in December.
Council will be asked Monday night to accept the plan as a guiding document and to approve a work plan for administration to follow.
A graph contained in the document is captioned "Seniors over 65 = Aging Tsunami on the March".
It also points to a significant impact resulting from growth in the public's "propensity to call 911."
The master plan states that that call volumes are currently increasing by almost six per cent a year.
Projected calls for service this year total just under 42,000.
By 2030 this is expected to climb to just under 65,000, an increase of more than 50 per cent.
Consultants who helped prepare the plan have said "It’s not exactly clear what the factors are behind this, but what we know is we’re seeing an increase in willingness to call 9-1-1. The stoic days of people driving themselves to the hospital injured are over.”
Superior North EMS believes one way to mitigate this trend is to collaborate with local stakeholders to develop a public awareness program to better manage/reduce calls for paramedic services.
The scale of community paramedicine programs (CPP) will also be ramped up to flatten the curve, with hopes that the province will provide permanent provincial funding.
This spring, Superior North EMS received approval for $6.5 million in government funding to expand CPP to help decrease trips to hospital emergency departments and to allow seniors to remain in their homes longer.
