REACHING MORE OLDER ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY
Due to mobility issues, frailty,
or other challenges with health
conditions, some older adults living
at home have difficulty accessing
psychiatric services in a clinic or
hospital. To assist these individuals,
Baycrest's Geriatric Psychiatry
Community Services team provides
in-home visits. But there are
limitations to the number of
patients that can be seen.
In an effort to treat more patients and
improve wait times, the team piloted
the use of telemedicine for home
visits. Case managers helped clients
with a variety of conditions including
depression, anxiety, and dementia,
connect with a Baycrest geriatric
psychiatrist through a computer
or tablet. KL-CARE was brought
in to help evaluate telemedicine's
effectiveness and user satisfaction
with the service, as well as explore
areas for improvement.
Decreasing wait times
for psychiatrists
Thirty telemedicine visits later,
KL-CARE staff found that most
clients and caregivers expressed
high satisfaction with their
experience, and were willing to
see their doctor again using this
technology. There was a trend
towards decreased wait times to see
a psychiatrist. Staff also identified
a number of technical and practical
barriers that will help improve the
practice moving forward.
In the months afterward,
telemedicine has become a regular
part of the Geriatric Psychiatry
Community Services team's daily
activities. This new approach allows
Baycrest to improve healthcare
access for vulnerable older adults
living with mental health challenges.
It is just one example of KL-CARE's
role in ensuring that the best,
newly-developed, evidence-based
care practices are adopted in the
aging healthcare sector.
20 staff
32 projects
Partnerships with 9
external organizations
(industry/non-profit)
14 Baycrest
departments
13,000 support hours
provided to clinicians
2017–2018 YEAR IN REVIEW 23
