3. Integrated care and community responses
- Date: Thursday, October 8, 2020
- Concurrent Session D
- Time: 4 :00 pm – 4 :30 pm
- Style: Rapid-Fire Session
- Focus: Practical (e.g. Presentation on how to implement programs and/or practices in the team environment)
- Target Audience: Clinical providers
Learning Objectives
As the health, social, spiritual and support care needs for older adults living in the community are continually changing during COVID-19, there is an urgency for front line workers to be informed of the changing state of services and be leaders in providing ongoing coordination of services and support for isolated older adults who are reaching out for support. The “Virtual Older Adult Community Service Hub” provides connections for frontline workers and is an innovative model for the coordination of community resources and sharing of ongoing changes/opportunities to assist older adults in successfully accessing care/services during COVID 19.
Summary/Abstract
The presentation will reflect on the successful and purposeful innovation, integration and collaboration of partners in response to the sudden shift in community based service delivery for older adults in support of the COVID-19 restrictions. Tools and strategies will be shared with a focus on how they are easily transferable for neighbouring communities across our province. The presentation will share the importance of recognizing the ongoing needs of frontline workers to have information and tools to ‘feel’ effective in their day to day work during a rapidly changing environment that is focused on virtual care and community safety for older adults. This is evident in the weekly one hour virtual meetings with over 35 front line participants regularly attending for the initial three months of the pandemic and a move to regional focused biweekly person- centered cared meetings that have successfully complimented the Community Hub meetings and sustained participation. The evidence of enhanced and ‘new’ integrated collaborative partnerships developed virtually and beyond will be highlighted; inclusive of and not limited to : Primary Care, Paramedics, GeriMedRisk, Palliative Care, Memory Clinics, Hospice, Specialized Geriatrics, Community Supports, Adult Day Programs, Intensive Geriatric Services, Mental Health, Addictions, Home and Community Care, Geriatric Emergency Management Program, Acute Care, Long Term Care, Behavioural Supports, Ontario Health Teams, and COVID-19 response teams. The ‘voice’ of the older adult and front line community workers were foundational in the co-design and implementation of the “Older Adult Community Service Hub” supported by the Waterloo Wellington Older Adult Strategy.
Presenters
- Jane McKinnon Wilson, BSc.H.K., MSc.H.B. Waterloo Wellington Geriatric System Coordinator, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington: and Waterloo Wellington Older Adult Strategy
- Victoria Peters, MSW., RSW. Manager Seniors Services, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington
- Morgan McIver, RN, BScN, BComm, CPMHN(C), Primary Care at Home Guelph Family Health Team, Guelph Family Health Team
- Don Wildfong, RN, BNSc, MSc, Waterloo Wellington Geriatric System Implementation Facilitator, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington: and Waterloo Wellington Older Adult Strategy
Contributors
- COVID 19 Waterloo Wellington Community Supports for Older Adults Hub