The official catchment area for the Kingston
hospitals extends from Brighton in the east to Brockville
in the west, and from the American border to the far
north of Ontario. But this does not tell the whole
story, since it is not unusual for patients to be
transferred from much farther away when hospitals
in Sudbury, London, or Toronto are full.
Sometimes children come from even farther
away. The trans-Canada highway passes through
Kingston, and motor-vehicle accidents unfortunately
account for a significant fraction of children
who use Almost Home. Kingston is also a popular
tourist destination in its own right, but
illness and accidents do not take vacations.
Our distance record is a family from Brazil! Long distances to
Kingston
pose special problems for children being treated
as outpatients. Appointments start as early
as 7:00am, even for families who may be a
three-hour drive from Kingston. Children who
could be discharged to a home in Kingston
may be held overnight if their community has
no local hospital. In both these examples,
Almost Home provides a place for the child
to stay in a home-like environment, rather
than spending a night in hospital solely because
they live too far away.
