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Untitled Document
As Canada’s
population grows older with multiple, complex and chronic illnesses, clinical
service will need to develop strategies to support the health and wellness of
the elderly. The mental health of our seniors is a key factor for determining
their quality of life. The Division of Geriatric Psychiatry strives to work in
an integrated fashion with all other partners to provide compassionate clinical
care to seniors, whose mental health needs exceed those that can be met by the
community. The clinical domain is intricately woven with people and programs
that strive to discover exciting, new and innovative ways of providing health
care to this vulnerable population, as well as provide educational opportunities
to all groups of care providers and consumers, with the ultimate goal of
improving quality of care for seniors in our community.
The
Division has four main components: Clinical Service Leadership, Education,
Research, and Community Linkages.
Mission:
The
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry’s key role is to provide academic leadership
within the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western
Ontario (UWO). Functionally, the Division also contributes to clinical service
provision and leadership by engaging the participation and contribution of
individuals from a variety of related clinical disciplines.
Clinical Service Leadership
The
Division is the clinical seat of expertise of Geriatric Psychiatry for the
Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. The members
of the Division and affiliated programs are based at St. Joseph’s Health Care (SJHC),
Regional Mental Health Care - London (RMHCL) tertiary hubs for geriatric
psychiatry expertise of Southwestern Ontario and
London Health Science Centre - Geriatric Mental Health Program (GMHP),
the City of London and County of Middlesex.
At
the core of our success are strong partnerships with the
Division of Geriatric Medicine
and health partners such as the
Local Health Integrated Networks (LHINs).
Together we advocate for and build effective integrated and coordinated service
for the care of the elderly. Membership includes an inter-professional group of
health care professionals, including geriatric psychiatry, psychology, advance
practice nursing, social work, and health care leadership.
Clinical service advocacy and leadership comprise the primary pillar upon which
education and research are based.
Education
The
second pillar is comprised of education of trainees, partners, the community and
our own Division colleagues.
The
Division is involved in ongoing educational activities in the following areas at
the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario:
undergraduate medical education for medical students and postgraduate education
in geriatric psychiatry for residents in the Department of Psychiatry. The
Division participates in and is an active contributor to education of medical
and nursing students at Schulich.
Geriatric Psychiatry provides leadership in Continuing Professional Development
throughout southwestern Ontario for physicians and healthcare professionals
seeking up-to-date knowledge and skill development through
Specialized Geriatric Services,
the Southwestern Ontario Geriatric Assessment Network (SWOGAN) and the
Department of Psychiatry Continuing Professional Development rounds.
Interprofessional teams affiliated with the Division programs provide training
opportunities for psychology, nursing and social work students seeking an
experience in geriatric mental health care.
Research
Advancing our knowledge and understanding of elderly individuals at risk or
suffering from mental illness continues to be a key focus of the Division of
Geriatric Psychiatry. As a clinical division, our members engage in clinical,
applied research in a variety of areas with a focus on early identification,
prevention, health promotion, knowledge translation, and best practices in
treatment and management, as they relate to senior’s mental health. An example
of this expertise is
Dr. Marnin Heisel,
Basic Scientist, UWO, who is an expert on suicide prevention among older adults
and has published extensively in this area. He is based at LHSC and UWO with
appointments in Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Psychiatry. In addition, Dr.
Heisel has worked diligently with the
Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health
to develop toolkits for health care professionals and more recently developed
information guides for family members.
Division members
Dr. Maggie Gibson
and
Dr. Iris Gutmanis
have collaborated extensively with research partners on the psychosocial needs
of at-risk elderly. Program evaluation and advancement of knowledge translation
of patient and safety data has been led at SJHC and RMHCL by
Dr. Ed Black
with
Dr. Tom Ross,
Tony O’Regan and
Dr. Jennifer Doherty.
Community Linkages/Partnerships
The
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and affiliated clinical programs collaborate
with a wide variety of partners in all areas of clinical service, research and
education, with the goals of better service integration, increased capacity to
care for older adults, and improving knowledge and best practices.
Contact Us at the UWO Division of Geriatric Psychiatry:
Chair: Dr. Lisa Van Bussel
Lisa.vanbussel@sjhc.london.on.ca
phone: 519-455-5110, ext. 47374
St. Joseph’s Health Care – Regional Mental Health Care London, 850 Highbury
Avenue, Main, K-170, London, Ontario N6A 4H1
Administrative Assistant: Debra Martin
Debra.martin@lhsc.on.ca
phone: 519-685-8500 ext. 75783
London Health Sciences Centre -Victoria Hospital, North Tower, B8-134, 800
Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario N6A 5W9
In
2012, the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry will celebrate its 10th anniversary!
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