ISLAND SENIORS BENEFIT FROM OUTPATIENT CLINIC

VICTORIA – Seniors in the South Island now have better access to outpatient care and services, announced Health Services Minister George Abbott at an event to formally open the newly renovated Geriatric Outpatient Clinic at the Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH).

“Our goal is to enhance the quality of care for seniors so they can enjoy healthier, more independent lives at home,” said Abbott. “The expansion of this clinic is one of many initiatives on the Island to help reduce the number of avoidable emergency visits and hospital admissions that are common for many seniors with multiple chronic conditions.”

Funded through the B.C. government’s Health Innovation Fund, the $1.3-million, 650-square-metre (7,000-square-foot) clinic provides a much-improved layout and patient flow from its former three-examination room location at RJH. Located in the Memorial Pavilion building, the clinic now includes four exam rooms, one rehabilitation treatment room, an activity room and a gymnasium, plus additional space for a large waiting area, storage and offices. To accommodate seniors with mobility issues, the clinic is located on the ground floor with level entrances and is close to parking, and provides specialized equipment such as low beds and lifts.

“This expanded outpatient clinic will be an important component in the continuum of care for seniors on the south Island,” said Ida Chong, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, and Minister of Technology, Trade and Economic Development. “Nearly 20 per cent of people on Vancouver Island are over age 65, with the greatest proportion here on the south Island, so a facility devoted to geriatric outpatient needs will make a big difference in the overall wellbeing of the community.”

As part of a recent initiative to decrease patient flow through emergency departments, the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) has focused on geriatric outpatient services, with the goal of healthier seniors who require fewer emergency visits and live better, more fulfilling lives at home in their own communities. The geriatric outpatient clinic, together with the community-based seniors at risk integrated network project, supports the health of seniors who are most at risk for poor or declining health, and supports their families and caregivers.

“Our ability to assess and treat seniors with complex health issues, on an outpatient basis, is helping to alleviate the ever-increasing demands on our acute care system,” said VIHA board chair Jac Kreut. “This innovative clinic gives our aging population more care options and the ability to live longer in their own homes with support.”

Services offered at the clinic include urgent geriatric assessment, fast-tracking for diagnostic tests, rehabilitation services, social work, nutritional counseling, acupuncture, incontinence support, psychiatric evaluation and educational sessions. As well, follow-up outpatient services are available to facilitate discharge from hospital sooner. The clinic team consists of geriatricians, a psychiatrist, a nurse practitioner, nurses, a nutritionist, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation assistants and administrative staff.

“We have been providing this service for some time now but capacity has been limited due to space,” said Dr. Marilyn Bater, medical director of seniors’ health and department head of geriatrics for VIHA. “With the clinic expansion, we have been able to add new nurse practitioner services and treatments, increase our number of care providers and offer privacy and adequate space for exercise and therapy. We have expanded both the numbers of new assessments done, as well as provided outpatient treatment to more individuals. We are all really proud of the new clinic and see it as a big step towards a Centre for Excellence in Seniors Health for VIHA.”

The $100-million Health Innovation Fund was created to help health authorities facilitate better patient care, and focused on improvements in primary health care, emergency department decongestion and pay-for-performance. VIHA was approved for $21.5 million for 15 projects; of that total, $1.2 million was directed towards geriatric outpatient initiatives. The $1.3-million Geriatric Outpatient Clinic in Victoria was funded through both the Health Innovation Fund ($902,453) and VIHA ($457,000).

This initiative supports government’s goal of building the best system of support for seniors in Canada and follows through on commitments in Seniors in BC: A Healthy Living Framework, B.C.’s action plan to support older British Columbians in leading healthy, active and independent lives.

To read Seniors in BC: A Healthy Living Framework visit: www.cd.gov.bc.ca/seniors/PDFs/seniors_framework_web.pdf

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Contact:

Public Affairs Bureau

Ministry of Health Services

250 952-1887

Shannon Marshall

VIHA Communications

250 370-8270




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