Program Overview
The Seniors' Mental Health Program provides a continuum of specialized mental health services and education for seniors and their formal and informal caregivers across northeast Ontario. The program provides assessment, intervention and support to assist individuals with age related mental health disorders to remain in the community (private home, long-term care home or retirement home) and to prevent psychiatric hospitalization where possible. While most individuals receiving services from the program are over 65 years of age, services are also provided to those under 65 if they have an age related mental health issue.
Inpatient hospitalization is available if necessary. The length of stay is kept to a minimum. The program strives to assist individuals to attain the highest quality of life in the least restrictive environment.
The program also assists families and caregivers by providing formal and informal education and training.
Services Provided
Assessment, treatment, consultation and education are all provided by the treatment team and is individualized to patient and caregiver need. Inpatient treatment focuses on recovery, community reintegration and gentle care. Services are provided by multidisciplinary teams consisting of physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, behaviour therapist and recreation therapists. Treatment may include medication adjustment, behavioural approaches, gentle care approaches, Montessori based intervention and multi-sensory approaches among others.
Inpatient Services
The inpatient service consists of 2 distinct units: a 19 bed Regional Assessment and Treatment unit and a 15 bed Regional Dementia Care Unit. The Assessment unit provides comprehensive specialized assessment and treatment for older individuals with complex psychiatric needs and severe persistent mental illness. The Regional Dementia Care Unit provides assessment and treatment for individuals with severe behaviour disturbances related to dementia in the absence of other significant pre-morbid mental health issues.
Outreach Services
Follow-up and support for patients discharged from the inpatient units is provided by the inpatient team through the program's Transition Service. Follow-up and education is provided on-site in long term care homes and via telephone contact.
The Regional Consultation Service provides assessment and recommendations to individuals in their home communities through locally based nurse clinicians with psychiatric support from the base team in North Bay. Specialized assessments from occupational therapy, social work and recreation therapy are available on request. Clinicians are located in North Bay, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Huntsville, New Liskeard, Elliot Lake and Little Current.
The Psychogeriatric Resource Consultants provide education and training to formal caregivers in Ministry of Health funded care facilities throughout all of northeast Ontario. These clinicians are based in North Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.
Admission Procedure
Admission requests for inpatient services should be directed to the bed manager who will provide the referral source with a request for admission package. All requests for inpatient admissions will be reviewed by the Seniors' Admission Review Team and a response will be sent to the referring facility within 1 week of receipt of the complete admission request package.
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