HomeMedical SpecialtiesGeriatrics and AgingAt-risk seniors benefit from expanded geriatric assessment program

At-risk seniors benefit from expanded geriatric assessment program

Geriatrics and AgingMEDICAL SPECIALTIES

Published on

Kristie Jones

By Maryanne Matthews

Senior patients at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre are receiving the right care, at the right time, and by the right provider thanks to expanded coverage for the Geriatric Assessment program.

Beginning in the Emergency Department, the program streamlines the assessment process of at-risk seniors (aged 65 years and older) through consultation with internal geriatricians and the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). Collaboration with external partners such as St. Joseph’s Care Group (SJCG), Alzheimer’s Society, Superior North Emergency Medical Service, and the North West Local Health Integration Network’s (LHIN) Home and Community Care, is also crucial to the program’s success.

“Senior patients often require more specialized attention within our health care system. In addition to requiring health care more often, their needs are different from the general population,” said Susan Veltri, Geriatric Care Coordinator. “The Geriatric Assessment program is a great fit for their needs. After a successful trial of the program, we saw a need to not only make it a permanent service, but to expand coverage to seven days a week so that even more patients can be screened and assessed.”

The assessment process looks for signs of geriatric syndromes, including mobility issues, weakness, frailty, functional decline, pain, cognitive impairment, dementia, delirium, and other risk factors often associated with seniors. “Early assessment allow for early interventions, which is especially crucial for at-risk seniors,” said Veltri.

The program also supports discharges for patients who do not require acute care in a hospital setting and works with community partners to provide a smooth transition to home or other programs and services that would best address their needs, such as SJCG’s geriatric programs.

By identifying their needs sooner, the average length of stay for senior’s of the program has decreased by half – meaning that vulnerable senior patients are not spending more time in the hospital than needed. Additionally, over 150 unnecessary hospital admissions have been avoided this year.

“By providing senior-friendly care early, we reduce the number of unnecessary admissions or days spent in the hospital and achieve improved continuity of care, enhanced patient experiences and better outcomes,” said Veltri. “Most importantly, our senior patients and their families and caregivers have been very happy with the care received and the ongoing support provided after discharge.”

To learn more about our Hospital’s commitment to seniors’ health, visit www.tbrhsc.net.

Maryanne Matthews is a Communications Officer at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Latest articles

Current Print Issue

New approach opens door to better-targeted treatments and faster drug discovery for complex diseases

McGill researchers have developed an AI tool called SIDISH that identifies high-risk cancer cells driving aggressive disease, enabling more precise and targeted treatment strategies. By linking single-cell data with patient outcomes, the tool can predict disease progression and simulate responses to potential drug targets, helping accelerate drug discovery and repurposing. While still in development, SIDISH shows promise for advancing personalized cancer care and improving outcomes across multiple tumour types.
Current Print Issue

Canadian Cancer Society urges lowering colorectal cancer screening age to 45

The Canadian Cancer Society is urging provinces to lower the colorectal cancer screening age from 50 to 45, citing rising rates among younger adults and evidence that earlier screening could prevent over 15,000 cases and 6,100 deaths. Younger patients are more often diagnosed at advanced stages, making early detection critical. Expanding access to simple screening tools like FIT tests could significantly improve outcomes and save lives.
Current Print Issue

Unleashing natural killer cells against cancer

Researchers at McGill University have developed a new strategy to enhance natural killer (NK) cells, enabling them to better penetrate tumour defenses and destroy cancer cells. Using small-molecule drugs to temporarily boost NK cell activity—rather than permanent genetic modification—the approach showed strong results against multiple hard-to-treat cancers in preclinical studies. The scalable, ready-to-use therapy could make immunotherapy faster, safer, and more accessible, with future clinical trials planned for aggressive cancers like acute myeloid leukemia.
Current Print Issue

Doctors report false health information, lack of health data sharing put patient care at risk

A new CMA survey reveals major risks to patient care in Canada, with 99% of physicians reporting that disconnected health systems limit access to critical patient information and nearly half witnessing serious adverse outcomes as a result. At the same time, 97% of doctors say they have intervened to address harm caused by false or misleading online health information, including AI-generated advice. The findings highlight the urgent need for integrated digital health systems and stronger efforts to promote reliable health information.

More like this

Pediatrics

An individualized and equitable approach: Pregnancy care for people with disabilities

HN Summary • Sunnybrook’s Accessible Care Pregnancy Clinic provides individualized, fully accessible care for people...
Diseases

First-in-Canada case of sustained HIV remission

HN Summary • A first-in-Canada case shows a patient achieving sustained HIV remission following a...
Research

UHN researchers investigate new therapies as colon cancer rises among young patients

HN Summary • Colorectal cancer is rising among younger adults, prompting UHN researchers to investigate...
Emergency Medicine

A single question leads to better patient experience in the Emergency Department

HN Summary • A Nurse Practitioner (NP) pilot in Niagara Health’s ED has significantly reduced...
Diseases

New Research at University of Alberta Advances Fight Against Parkinson’s Disease

Researchers at the University of Alberta are reporting new progress in understanding and potentially...
Diseases

‘It was here and we couldn’t stop it’

Nursing professor Carole Estabrooks warned about a long-term care crisis before COVID-19 hit. Now,...
Load more