22 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2024
VIRTUAL BEHAVIOURAL MEDICINE: PUSHING
THE BOUNDARIES OF BRAIN HEALTH CARE
Baycrest has always been driven by innovation
and offering best-in-class care. This equates to
better quality of life for our residents and for
older adults who are now aging in place.
VIRTUAL BEHAVIOURAL MEDICINE
REDUCES WAIT TIMES
Our Virtual Behavioural Medicine program (VBM),
located in the Pamela & Paul Austin Centre for
Neurology and Behavioural Support at Baycrest,
reduces wait times and helps keep dementia
patients in familiar environments. Using video
conferencing, our doctors observe patients,
assess what they need, and prescribe drugs or
other treatments to help control aggressive
behaviours. Since launching, we've treated more
than 300 patients throughout Ontario who have
a hard time accessing our campus.
REMARKABLE RESULTS:
• Patients respond well to treatments
• Behaviours have improved
• Hospitals admissions have been slashed by
80 per cent
• Wait times for the inpatient unit at Baycrest have
been cut to two weeks from one year
Patients who remain in their surroundings enjoy a
higher quality of life and respond better to treatments
because they are more relaxed and less stressed.
"As a fully virtual program, VBM can be adopted
worldwide and therefore has the potential to
help people living with dementia everywhere to
live their best possible lives."
- Dr. Morris Freedman, Medical Director, Pamela
& Paul Austin Centre for Neurology and
Behavioural Support
