New "Canadian Forces Hospital Comforts Fund"

[The Bread Guy]

Another way to help those recovering here or overseas - mods, feel free to flip elsewhere if you see a better fit...

DND: Hospital Comforts Program
DND news release, 27 Feb 07
Statement

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Feb. 27, 2007) - General Rick Hillier, the Chief of Defence Staff, is pleased to announce the launch of the Canadian Forces (CF) Hospital Comforts Program, an initiative that will provide comfort items to members of the CF who are either hospitalized or recuperating at home from illness or injury for an extended period.

"This program will allow us to provide comfort items to CF personnel who are hospitalized in overseas facilities and in facilities across Canada, for any reason, including such things as a wound suffered on operations, an illness, a vehicle accident or following a surgery," said Gen. Hillier. "The program will also extend to personnel who face long recuperation periods at home", he added.

In order to respond to the out flowing of generosity from Canadians wanting to help wounded, injured or ill military personnel, a Hospital Comforts Fund has also been created.

Thanks to a recent contribution from a very generous donor, the Comforts Fund is already a success. All donations made through the Fund will assist in covering the costs of providing items and services to Canadian Forces personnel and are tax-deductible.

The CF Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA) - the morale and welfare arm of the CF that provides programs and services for the wellbeing of the CF community - will administer the Hospital Comforts Program through its non-public funds.

"The CFPSA is taking on this program as complementary to what is already being done at unit- or base-fund levels," explains Major-General Doug Langton, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency.

The additional comfort items, funded with non-public dollars, will add to the standard basics that are provided through public programs to ensure there is a consistent standard across the CF.

Some of the comforts that could be provided to hospitalized CF members include:

- rentals of televisions, telephones and access to internet/e-mail services for the duration of hospitalization;
- the purchase of amenities including newspapers, magazines, books, movie rentals, electronic gaming rentals, snacks, toiletries, and calling cards;
- clothing; and
- the loan of electronic equipment, such as personal DVD players, music players, portable gaming systems and laptop computers

NOTE: Cheques or money orders made out to "CFCF in Trust (CF Hospital Comforts Program)" can be mailed to:

Canadian Forces Hospital Comforts Fund
c/o Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency
4210 Labelle Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

Please do not send cash.

For more information on supporting the CF community, visit www.cfpsa.com/supportourtroops. 



Updated link :
https://www.cfmws.com/en/SupportOurTroops/OurFunds/HospitalComfortsFund/Pages/default.aspx

Link current as of August 2013 - Old Medic 

 

[Edward Campbell]

Good stuff. I guess.

Can someone explain/does anyone know how the PPCLI and RCR regimental association "hospital pack" programmes and the Wounded Warrior Fund complement or compete with this?

 

[The Bread Guy]

Good stuff. I guess.  Can someone explain/does anyone know how the PPCLI and RCR regimental association "hospital pack" programmes and the Wounded Warrior Fund complement or compete with this?

No direct knowledge, but based on these phrases from the news release:

"The CFPSA is taking on this program as complementary to what is already being done at unit- or base-fund levels,"
"Some of the comforts that could be provided to hospitalized CF members include"

I'm guessing anyone who isn't getting support from program x, y or z should be able to access this.  If this is indeed the case, I'm interested, too, in some mechanics - does a troop ask?  is a troop recommended?  by whom?

Good idea, but it'll be interesting to see how this'll work.

 

[mmcteague]

To me this looks like the governments way of trying to help the wounded out but for them to finally put something in place after 200 of our guys have been wounded is kind of odd. Everything that they put in there package is in the wounded warriors fund. Chances are if its government run its gonna mean paper work and time to get things to guys where as the wounded warrior fund delivers as soon as a solider is hurt without any questions. It also seems that there asking for public donations and almost push the wounded warrior program aside. I guess we will see how things work out though.

Mike

 

[simysmom99]

It is my understanding that there has been a "summit" organized by DND in Ottawa to discuss the wounded and their overall care, including things that the Wounded Warrior Fund is already providing.  Should be interesting to see the outcome of that.

 

[Donut]

Governments move slowly, by design, so I 'm not terribly surprised it's taken 200-odd casualties for them to get this together, and I'm not surprised that well-meaning individuals and small groups have stepped up to fill a gap, that rightly should be filled by the CF providing for it's own.

I'm heartened to hear of the summit, Simysmom, as I suspect we've been duplicating effort and wasting resources in doing so; not so much working to cross-purposes, but all trying to do our part as individuals when we need to be acting as part of a larger, overarching support infrastructure for the wounded and their families.

My mother talks of the cab companies delivering telegrams about our soldiers killed in the second world war, something which certainly doesn't happen now...we learned from it and improved it (if "improve" is a word I can use in the context of losing a loved one).

I think this is something that should be undertaken CF wide, not just for those members serving with the larger regiments with deep(er) pockets, but for every soldier, sailor, and airman and woman injured while serving, either at home or abroad.

We've already got a support organization, the CFPSA, with an established network, built in administration, and initimately linked to the CF.  While I'm sure MMcTeague has it right, there will be paperwork and beaurocracy involved, it can be as simple as an admission form from a hospital with a SN and an estimated stay in hospital on it...fax that to the right person, and the package is delivered.

CF health care providers have spent years, and lots of cash, trying to improve the way we manage and support our sick and injured.  It's not perfect, but perfection is the enemy of good enough.  I do know, for a fact, that the treatment and support our wounded get is superior to what we used to get; I spent a couple of days in hospital after a tng injury with 3 VP in 1996, and didn't get so much as a regimental visitor, or a tv, or a paperback.  When your family's 3000km away, and you're lying in a hospital bed in a strange city, it doesn't matter how you got there, you're sick, and scared, and lonely, and bored, and cut off from your support.

All that being what it's worth, I've been hesitant to donate to many of the other funds, as they've lacked charitable status, and therefore I don't know for a fact that the bulk of the donations aren't eaten up by overhead and administration, as much as I support their work.

DF

 

[simysmom99]

I agree with a lot of PMT's points.  I know that Hillier is committed to our wounded and their families.  I know that DND is also committed to making changes.  It just takes time.  And even though it seems that we have been at this level of operating in Afghanistan for so long now, it really has only been since July 05 (that is public knowledge  ). 
My dh just called and to clarify on the summit, it will be focusing on the after care such as an advanced physio situation for soldiers that would like to continue on past what the civilian system allows.  As for my dh, in Alberta you would be offered 6-8 weeks of physio as an in-patient and then you are out of the Glenrose system and you can continue on privately if you wish, at your expense which is determined by the type of insurance and health care policy you have blah blah blah.  Paul is still in physio, at his and the government's request.  It also has to do with the severity of Paul's injury and the fact that there are so few double above the knee amputees walking in North America so the chance to learn and experiment on a willing patient is quite high.
I can see change coming.. we'll just have to keep watching for it.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Good to hear consultation is being done with those who've been through, or seen loved ones through, the system.  It's NOT the kind of expertise you'd choose to have, but it can be helpful to those in (and those yet to be in) the system.

 

[tacmed2007]

BUt is ther one or many comfort funds that a Pt's family would have to go thru to get re-embursed??  Iwas told that there is like a 50 max on parking and thats all hat this one fund covered?? so how do you as a family cover the additional cost of a hospital stay that can be for some time??
What is the turn around for the familys to see whatever they have spent returned?