Area ambulance district to take patients 'Home for the Holidays'

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Ambulance District will again be conducting its annual "Home for the Holidays" project Dec. 24 and 25.

Ambulance district employees will take patients who are unable to travel except by ambulance from the nursing homes of Stoddard County to residences within the county. This service is available to any patient who is not ambulatory and would like to spend some time with family during the Christmas holiday.

The patients will be allowed to stay as long as they wish on their home visit, then the ambulance crews will transport the patients back to the appropriate nursing facility.

"The visit may be for just a few hours," says Stoddard County Ambulance director Dave Cooper, "or it may be overnight.

"The holiday season is a time that families should be together, and we understand that due to physical limitations this can be impossible for some. It's our gift to the community and we enjoy providing this service."

There will be no charge to the patients or their families for the service. Anyone interested in this program should contact the activity director or social worker at the patient's nursing home. All arrangements should be made through the appropriate nursing home, which will then contact the ambulance office to set up the schedule. Residents should not contact the ambulance office directly.

The following guidelines will be used for "Home for the Holidays" transports:

• Patients transported must be a resident of Stoddard County and be in a nursing home within the county.
• Patients will only be transported to a residence within Stoddard County.
• Transports will be made from 8 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 5 p.m.
• All transports will be scheduled; however, they may be delayed due to emergency calls.
• The family must make arrangements with the nursing home staff. The nursing home staff will then contact the Stoddard County Ambulance District Office. The ambulance office will then schedule the time that is closest to what the family would prefer.
• All patients must be in such a condition that they could not go home by any other means than by ambulance.

The staff at each nursing facility will make this determination. Questions regarding the annual project should be directed to the ambulance district office at 573-624-4528.