"We need these programs internally
but we developed them with a
view to rolling them out to
a much broader audience
than Baycrest," Plunkett
explains. "There's
a lot we have to
offer. Baycrest has
a specialized niche
expertise that's in high
demand, especially
with increasing
pressure on hospitals
and long-term care
homes from a growing
older adult population."
Some of the compliance courses
have already been purchased by
other hospitals and participants are
paying a fee to take a 13-module course developed
with the National Ballet School to bring dance and
movement to clients with dementia.
Developing online versions of courses and
programs that are only offered face to face is
also ongoing. A clinical trial is now underway to
determine the efficacy of an online version of
the Memory and Aging Program, a
fee-for-service workshop that
provides strategies for older
adults with normal, age-
related memory changes.
"The advances made
in eLearning at
Baycrest are helping
us address the needs
of learners and share
our expertise with a
wider audience," says
Dr. David Conn, Vice-
President of Education
and Director of the
Centre for Education and
Knowledge Exchange in Aging.
"It is making required curriculums
more interesting, effective and engaging.
The courses really help you learn and think things
through. And there is also the potential to bring in
revenue for Baycrest."
Pictured above: A volunteer tests technology at Baycrest.
Pictured below: Baycrest's Centre for Education & Knowledge
Exchange in Aging Team.
