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Administrative Director: Clinical Department Head: By following our Vision "Leading Old Age into A New Age", the Health & Aging
Program offers the following services for frail older adults:
In New Brunswick, the 85+ population is expected to increase 71 per cent by 2009, with huge implications for the use of provincial health care resources. AHSC’s Health and Aging Program recognizes an opportunity to be a leader in this area and is positioning itself as such. Based at St. Joseph's Hospital, the Health and Aging Program provides interdisciplinary care to a diverse population of older adults and their families. It offers inpatient services at several AHSC facilities, as well as outpatient and ambulatory services to individuals in the community. Home visits for assessment may be required for people unable to attend clinics or whose living arrangements require assessment. Patient care units provide specialized diagnostic, treatment and restorative services to older adults: Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit: Located at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Saint John, this newly renovated unit is an inpatient setting for evaluation and management of frail older adults who have multiple problems including medical, functional, cognitive, psychological and/or social. Restorative Care Unit: Also at St. Joseph’s, this unit provides inpatient care to those individuals primarily requiring rehabilitative services to improve function and maximize independence. Cognitive Assessment and Management Unit: The complex needs of patients with cognitive impairment are addressed in this specially designed, secure environment at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Ridgewood Veterans Wing: This 80 bed facility is a long-term care setting for veterans who require residential care for an indefinite period of time. This facility opened a secure 24 bed unit specializing in Dementia Care in March 2002. Transitional Care Unit: This unit helps older adults make the transition to new living arrangements in a Nursing Home, Special Care Home or other supportive environments. Patients receive quality care and support as they await an appropriate placement for their long term care. The Health and Aging Program also has an educational component, providing clinical traineeships for students in health disciplines such as Dalhousie University Family Medicine Residency, dietetic interns, social work/nursing/physiotherapy/occupational therapy/speech language pathology. Quality improvement for the program is led by a committed team of professionals, who are, for the most part, also direct care providers.
The program is built on a solid foundation so that quality outcomes can be achieved for the people it serves. It complements and supports other programs such as Medicine, Family Medicine, Surgery, Neurosciences, allowing patients to receive appropriate, holistic care. Last Updated: 2005-07-15 |
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