Headwaters Health Care Centre Improves Geriatric Care

Orangeville, ON, February 12, 2010 – Headwaters Health Care Centre announced today it is improving access to care for senior patients with the addition of a Geriatric Nurse in the hospital’s emergency department. Funded through the Central West Local Health Integration (LHIN) Aging At Home Initiative, the Geriatric Nurse will provide assessments for seniors who may be at risk in their home environment or at risk of readmission.

Headwaters Health Care Centre worked in collaboration with William Osler Health System and the Central West Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), to develop a LHIN-wide specialized Geriatric Services Program to improve health outcomes of seniors with complex health conditions. In 2007, the province committed more than $700 million in funding over three years through Ontario’s 14 LHINs to help seniors continue leading healthy and independent lives in their own homes.

“Many seniors enter the hospital system from the emergency department. Recognizing the complex health conditions seniors’ face and providing prompt treatment and access to resources will promote optimal wellness and improved health conditions allowing seniors to age in place either at home, a retirement centre or long-term care facility, and to reduce their visits to hospital,” says Karen Stadnyk, Geriatric Nurse, Headwaters Health Care Centre.

The Geriatric Nurse will address the unique health care concerns of geriatric patients, recommend interventions and offer geriatric patients with complex functional and/or psychological challenges the unique patient focused nursing care they require.

The Geriatric Nurse will work with the patient, their health team and family to identify the client’s needs, make recommendations and facilitate the implementation of these recommendations. “We want to better support independence for seniors who would benefit from access to additional community resources. Seniors who can receive care at home or in other community-based settings will be more comfortable and are closer to their family and loved ones,” says Shelley O’Grady, Program Director, Emergency & Critical Care Services, Headwaters Health Care Centre.

Many senior patients with complex conditions require more time for diagnosis, treatment or admission and as a result spend longer wait times in the Emergency Department. In many cases their conditions could be managed in alternative primary care settings.

Headwaters Health Care Centre worked closely with the Central West LHIN, Central West Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), and William Osler Health Centre to develop this role for senior patients who no longer need acute hospital care but instead require long-term or community-based care.

Through this program, Headwaters has also increased social work services to support inpatient needs and the CCAC has assigned a case manager to the hospital’s emergency department to assess and direct clients to more appropriate community services.

The public is invited to provide comments and suggestions about hospital services. Please contact Cholly Boland, President and CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre at 519-941-2702 ext. 2200.

About Headwaters Health Care Centre
Headwaters Health Care Centre serves more than 110,000 residents in Caledon, Orangeville, Shelburne and Dufferin County. The hospital operates two sites – Headwaters Orangeville, a 74 bed acute care hospital and Headwaters Shelburne, a 26 bed complex continuing care hospital. Visit www.headwatershealth.ca.

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