Member Services
Your membership in the Niagara Ostomy Association involves:
Networking
Joining a network of caring, knowledgeable people living with ostomies who understand you and your experiences. Members have a range of experience, from those who are “newbies” to those who have lived with an ostomy for decades. Members are able to answer your questions and share information, no matter how personal the topic might be. Fellow members can provide referrals to credible sources of information and help.
Newsletters
Receiving 9 monthly newsletters - available by email or mailed to your home address.
Advocacy and Awareness
Supporting advocacy and awareness building that NOA members undertake on behalf of all people with ostomies, such as:
-providing ostomy information packages to the Niagara Health System (NHS), to be given to patients either pre- or post-surgery
-collaborating with the NHS to improve the ostomy patient care stream
-maintaining contact with Niagara ostomy suppliers by
sending newsletters, offering training, publicizing their business in the Southern Ontario Ostomy Handbook.
Ostomy Health Fair
Attending our popular annual Ostomy Health Fair where a wide range of Canadian and Niagara vendors display ostomy supplies, clothing, hernia support and provide free samples of their products. Senior services offered in Niagara are also present. Our 2023 fair is tentatively scheduled for October.
Meetings
In-person monthly meetings are held in St. Catharines (Sep-Nov; Jan-Jun). As of May 2023, masks are optional. Guest speakers provide information and updates about products and services that are relevant to living with an ostomy. There is always time for questions. Members who register for the newsletter also receive an email reminder.
Ostomy Visiting Program
Access to our confidential Ostomy Visiting Program. You will receive support from a trained and certified volunteer who helps persons who have or will have an ostomy. Support is provided by phone, email or in-person visit.
Ask the NSWOC (Nurse Specializing in Wound Ostomy and Continence Care)
Access to our confidential Ask the NSWOC service. Your personal ostomy questions can be submitted confidentially by email to a trained and certified Nurse.
Friends of Ostomates Worldwide (Canada) (FOWC)
Donating much-needed and appreciated ostomy supplies to FOWC. The FOWC national warehouse moved to St. Catharines in 2019 where shipments to Kenya, Iran and Cuba were prepared in 2020. Also in 2020, supplies were sent to a Thunder Bay church group (Memoministry) who then shipped ostomy supplies to Zimbabwe.
Training
Providing training via workshops to Personal Support Worker Students and Home Healthcare Providers.