A group of Thetford residents would like to see the town support a community nurse.
The Thetford Elder Network first raised the idea, which was then presented to the select board. Pril Dorman Hall, Gail Dimmick and Jill Brooker were at the April 21 Thetford Select Board meeting to discuss the idea. They said there are community nurses in Hartland as well as Lyme and Lebanon, N.H., although they are not town positions. The meting minutes state:
The group noted that currently Lyme has a community nurse associated with a local church parish. Lebanon has a community nurse associated with a pilot project out of DHMC. Hartland also has a community nurse.
If the position were created, it could be through the town or another community entity. Those speaking in favor of creating the position estimated the nursed would work about 10 hours per week and at a cost of around $15,000 per year. They said it might be possible to secure grant funding, and there is a possibility that the Ompompanoosuc Community Trust might serve as a fiscal agent.
Proponents emphasized that a community nurse would not provide regularly scheduled visits, like nurses with the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) do, or be on call for emergency care, like a local FAST squad is. This is how the position is described in the minutes:
The group explained that the community nurse would leverage community connections to help coordinate assistance for frail elderly and people with needs. The community nurse would use the existing social connection to help monitor the condition of people and raise flags when someone appears to be having difficulty or perhaps sliding in their health. The community nurse would also act as a case manager by assisting people in navigating the various health services available. The hope is that the nurse could help identify problems before they occur and to alleviate stress and confusion when people engage with the health care system.
The minutes show Selectman Mike Pomeroy said creating a town nurse position might go against state law:
Pomeroy raised a concern regarding a statute that was developed when the position of Town nurse was being replaced by organizations such as the VNA. The group stated that they would investigate the statute and any conflicts.
The community nurse in Hartland is funded through the community group Aging in Hartland. That position is supported by the Upper Valley Community Nursing Project, and modeled after a national Parish Nursing movement.
