Providing an exceptional, person and family centred residential and health care experience

In support of our mission, to create a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment, Baycrest has outlined a specific set of goals and objectives. Goal #1 is to provide an exceptional, person and family centred residential and health care experience. Throughout this past year, Baycrest has achieved many successes in this area through three key objectives, as highlighted below.

Partnering with clients to implement evidence-informed best practices and advance a culture of service excellence throughout the organization

Baycrest partners with clients to implement evidence-informed, best practices and advance a culture of service excellence throughout the organization. This included Client and Family Partner Panel (CFPP) member participation in a number of initiatives, including the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario’s (RNAO) Best Practice Spotlight Organization program, implementing best practice guidelines in which inpatient teams focused on sustainability and spread of pressure injury prevention and management guidelines across the hospital.

Our CFPP members were also involved in the development of the Virtual Behavioural Management program, a novel, client-centred way to manage Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in the setting where the person is situated. Additionally, we saw the establishment of an appeals process related to pandemic visiting restrictions that includes a panel with Client and Family Partner, Client Relations and Ethicist representation.

Demonstrating the effectiveness of continuous quality improvement across all Baycrest programs by performance reporting at the point of service

Through the use of performance boards and huddles, we have engaged staff in the identification of new quality priorities and the sustainability of existing initiatives (e.g., pressure injury prevention and medication administration record [MAR] improvement). Teams have also been included in process improvement initiatives and regularly review relevant performance data through working group meetings.

Creating high performing teams by empowering our staff to engage in lifelong inquiry and learning

Baycrest is creating high performing teams by empowering our staff to engage in lifelong inquiry and learning through a variety of initiatives. This includes support and mentorship for Baycrest nurses who wish to apply for Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowships (ACPF).  This year, Baycrest nurses received two ACPF fellowships for work on the Pressure Injury and Falls Prevention best practice guideline implementation.

Additionally, we undertook the implementation of structured professional development and support for hospital RN Team Leads, enhancing RPN scope of practice in the hospital (IV training has commenced), leadership education provided to Apotex RPNs and thirteen point of care hospital nurses received advanced wound care education to enable their role as wound care champions.

Introducing innovative residential and health care delivery models for older adults and their families.

In support of our mission, to create a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment, Baycrest has outlined a specific set of goals and objectives. Goal #2 is to introduce innovative residential and health care delivery models for older adults and their families. As highlighted below, Baycrest has achieved many successes in this area over the past year.

Baycrest continues to make advancements in the development and implementation of Baycrest@Home, an innovative portfolio of direct and virtual technology-enabled home care and community-based activities helping frail older adults remain at home with appropriate supports.

This initiative provides a holistic approach to care for older adults with declining cognitive health, as well as support for their care partners – usually a spouse or an adult child. The process includes virtual visits with a clinical social worker who assesses the needs of the individual and their family.

Families have access to education, clinical expertise, counselling and referrals, a home safety assessment and healthcare advice. Virtual social and recreational programs keep older adults with dementia and their care partners engaged, reduce social isolation and contribute to their overall health and well-being.

All Baycrest@Home services draw on the knowledge and skills of Baycrest experts in aging and brain health. Baycrest@Home is also testing sensor technology for home safety and developing an online learning platform to educate and support family care partners.

When the pandemic hit, Baycrest@Home was able to extend its reach to members of Baycrest’s Adult Day Programs who were no longer able to come to the campus. The Adult Day Programs provide a range of activities, support and social connections for older adults living in the community.

Additionally, Baycrest is designing and beginning to introduce Possibilities by Baycrest, a Memory Care model and a transformational approach to supporting persons living with dementia and their caregivers across all of our clinical, community and congregate residential settings.

This past year, the focus of work undertaken has been to advance the development of the model and to pilot test components through Baycrest@Home.  In addition, planning has been launched for the adoption of the model in the new Terraces Memory Residence with the support of a Terraces Possibilities Implementation Team. Read more about this new model here.

During this past pandemic year, Baycrest has also made tremendous strides in the development and implementation of new integrated service delivery models to care for older persons living with dementia and complex physical frailty by collaborating with local and provincial health care partners.

In particular, this year Baycrest launched the new Virtual Behavioural Medicine (VBM) Program, a collaboration between the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic at Baycrest and the Toronto Central Behavioural Support for Seniors Program (TC-BSSP), which sees patients through virtual visits over the secure Ontario Telemedicine Network rather than in person.

This new program was designed to assess and treat people with challenging behaviours caused by dementia and related cognitive disorders, and it is helping acute care hospitals, long-term care homes and family caregivers better care for people living with dementia and improve their quality of life. Read more here.

Additionally, Baycrest is supporting older adults in the community through a collaboration with the North York Community Access to Resources Enabling Support (NYCARES) pilot to enable older adults with high physical and cognitive decline to age in place by providing a wide range of in-person and digital services.

Various digital devices are used to help a client achieve their goals, improve their safety, and enhance their interaction with care providers as well as their loved ones. Baycrest is responsible for housing and managing the digital devices, including data-enabled iPads, smart home devices, fall prevention sensors, and vital signs monitoring.

Advancing as a leading research, education and innovation hub for the discovery, development and adoption of better approaches to optimize healthy aging.

In support of our mission, to create a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment, Baycrest has outlined a specific set of goals and objectives. Goal #3 is to advance as a leading research, education and innovation hub for the discovery, development and adoption of better approaches to optimize healthy aging. Some notable successes in this area are highlighted below.

Baycrest is creating a highly effective culture of innovation, supported by organizational structures and activities that catalyze novel collaborations between our clinical, research, educational and corporate support areas. Some examples this year include:

• • The Baycrest Innovation Office, BIO, is the initial point of contact for Baycrest staff and members of industry seeking support in advancing innovation at Baycrest. During the past year, BIO has helped introduce many innovations, as well as provide learning and networking opportunities for staff, volunteers and our community.

• • BIO has brought forward and evaluated the potential impact of dozens of technological and process-based innovations; has worked with CABHI, CLRI, KL-CARE and RRI to catalyze novel collaborations; put together an Innovation Commercialization and Steering Committee; and has helped bring to market several commercial opportunities. Read more here

• • Baycrest scientists are examining the indirect effects of COVID-19 on brain health in older adults, to help inform public health policy and identify other ways to support older adults during this difficult time.

• • Dr. Björn Herrmann, a psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist specializing in hearing and aging, joined Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute as the new Tier II Canada Research Chair in Auditory Aging. His work will drive transformational research in the fight against age-related hearing loss, providing real tools to decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

• • Dr. Jed Meltzer and his team are pioneering the use of individualized brain stimulation therapy to treat aphasia, a debilitating language disorder that impacts all forms of verbal communication, including speech, language comprehension, and reading and writing abilities. It affects around one-third of stroke survivors, but can also be present in those with dementia.

• • A Baycrest study found that older adults who spent more time on household chores showed greater brain size, which is a strong predictor of cognitive health. Understanding how different forms of physical activity contribute to brain health is crucial for developing strategies to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.

• The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) awarded a team of scientists at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute (RRI) a prestigious grant to determine why having prior knowledge on a topic affects how we learn new, related information as we age. This research will pave the way for optimizing the use of prior knowledge to preserve and improve memory as we get older, ultimately helping older adults live life to the fullest.

As part of Goal #3, Baycrest is working to become among the most technologically advanced seniors’ health and residential care organizations in the world. This is clearly seen through a new pilot project called Smart Suites, a collection of smart home technology software and devices used to help residents, their caregivers, and staff. These devices include smart blinds, voice-controlled lighting and thermostats, as well as under-bed lighting that can help reduce the risks of falls. These devices leverage technology to help residents maintain their safety and independence and enhance the quality of care.

Our educational activities continue to demonstrate our local, national and global leadership as a curator for expertise and training in aging brain health issues and dementia management. Our efforts this past year include:

• • Baycrest continues its participation in Project ECHO (Extension of Community Health Outcomes) Care of the Elderly, an initiative with the vision to enhance the quality of care to older adults in Ontario by improving the knowledge and skills of primary care providers in meeting the healthcare needs of older adults. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we pivoted our ECHO Care of the Elderly Long-Term Care program to run a 12-week COVID-19 series in collaboration with the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care at Baycrest.

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    This ECHO supported healthcare providers working in long-term care to build resiliency and strengthen their teams through just-in-time learning. We also completed a 10-week ECHO series in collaboration with the Alzheimer Society of Ontario focused specifically on dementia. As well, in collaboration with the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care at Baycrest, Baycrest ran two “pop-up” sessions for leaders in long-term care with a focus on increasing vaccine acceptance. With funding from the RBC Foundation, and in partnership with the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health and the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry, Baycrest implemented a national ECHO pilot focused on mental health and older adults.

• • Baycrest has been piloting various Virtual Reality education projects related to dementia with staff and students. These include a Virtual Trigger Room – where participants “walk” through the virtual rooms of a resident’s home and identify possible triggers for responsive behaviours; and a Virtual Reality De-escalation – a CABHI SPARK grant project in partnership with the Michener Institute/UHN and the Ottawa Hospital Research institute, where participants wear a Virtual Reality headset and interact with a live simulated participant (both as avatars) to prevent behaviour escalation in a person with dementia.

• • The Memory and Aging Program is an evidence-based education and memory strategy training program for older adults experiencing normal age-related memory changes. Through this program, Baycrest is providing interactive lectures, discussion and practical exercises to teach participants about memory changes that occur with age—what’s normal and what’s not—and help them acquire tools to better manage their memory function. Read more here.

• • • At the beginning of the pandemic, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care asked the Michener Institute at UHN to develop an educational website to support staff redeployed into critical care. It was soon recognized that staff from acute and community care would be redeployed into long-term care as well. The COVID Care Learning website was designed to support staff and students across Ontario who are redeployed into long-term care either in their own role or in a different role (e.g., nurse working as a PSW).

   

  • Baycrest’s Centre for Education, in collaboration with the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation (CLRIs) in Long-Term Care, was asked to curate, design and develop the long-term care section of the “COVID Care Learning” website www.covidcarelearning.ca.

• • The Ontario Centres for Learning, Research & Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI) at Baycrest, in partnership with CABHI, received funding for the “Implementation, Spread and Scale of the ALPHA Program to Expand Skills and Employment Opportunities in Long-Term Care.”

• • We have adapted to physical distancing and other infection prevention measures by holding all international education rounds virtually. Participants and presenters connect via their own devices (laptops, desktops, tablets, etc.) using Zoom Conferencing. International rounds are broadcasted to international participants.

• • In conjunction with Dr. Adriana Shnall, Program Director of Baycrest@Home, the eLearning team has developed a series of modules in support of family caregivers. These modules are intended to guide a general audience on how to support caregivers they may know, as well as serving as resources for caregivers themselves. The modules are primary resources on The Petro‑Canada CareMakers Foundation™ website, launched in 2021 in support of caregivers in communities across Canada. Click here to learn more.

• The Ontario government invested over $432,000 in Baycrest’s Goal Management Training program enabling therapists across the province to digitally access training and help people struggling with cognitive impairment as a result of COVID-19. GMT is an evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation program designed to help individuals with impairments in executive functioning to improve their planning and ability to achieve goals. This funding enabled Baycrest to expand and refine the Goal Management Training® (GMT) resources so that therapists across the province can apply this specialized approach in helping their patients improve cognitive functioning.

Becoming the commercial partner of choice for comprehensive, sustainable solutions for the health and residential care of older adults.

In support of our mission, to create a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment, Baycrest has outlined a specific set of goals and objectives. Goal #4 is to be the commercial partner of choice for comprehensive, sustainable solutions for the health and residential care of older adults. The following are some recent achievements in this area.

This year, Baycrest has continued to pursue entrepreneurial, growth opportunities with private-sector partners through Baycrest Global Solutions (BGS), BIO and Cogniciti. Our activity supports dissemination of our expertise while generating new sources of revenue. Despite the international travel restrictions during the pandemic, BGS had a successful year.

• • BGS has executed a 10-year contract to operate The Aspen Tree, a luxury older adult community in Bangkok, Thailand.  The community will open in 2023 and BGS is actively working with the developers to ensure a successful opening.

• • BGS has completed its consulting contract in Xi’An, China. In this consulting contract BGS assisted the publicly owned real estate firm to develop programs and train staff to deliver services for older adults.

• • Dementia: A Caregiver’s Guide was translated into Mandarin.  According to Oxford Press, the publishing company in China, this book won the award of the most popular scientific book in 2020 and sold out its first publication.  BGS International is working to publish this book in Thai for the Thailand market.

• • The Baycrest Innovation Office, BIO, has helped introduce many innovations this past year, as well as brought forward and evaluated the potential impact of dozens of technological and process-based innovations; has worked with CABHI, CLRI, KL-CARE and RRI to catalyze novel collaborations; put together an Innovation Commercialization and Steering Committee; and has helped bring to market several commercial opportunities. Read More Here

• In partnership with the National Ballet School of Canada, Baycrest introduced the Sharing Dance Older Adults app, as well as conducted direct outreach around the Dance at Home and Community Class offerings. BIO facilitated the commercial agreement with NBS to enable the program to scale to over 150 locations across Canada.

By working with the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), Baycrest is helping to develop and implement sustainable, mutually beneficial engagement strategies with industry and investment sector partners to enhance the creation, dissemination and broad adoption of innovative solutions.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CABHI-supported innovations have continued to demonstrate the importance of flexible, digitally-driven healthcare resources that can evolve to meet the needs of older adults and their circle of care, both during the present health crisis and beyond. These digital healthcare innovators have been responding to the challenges of the pandemic and leveraging their knowledge to address the immediate needs of seniors and their caregivers, as well as the broader longevity sector. To read more, click here.