By Emily Dawson

Across Ontario this month, health-care providers are celebrating Seniors’ Month and acknowledging the myriad contributions seniors make in our communities. With a legacy of providing services to older adults and helping seniors flourish, Providence Healthcare plays a vital role in the Scarborough community by empowering people to age in good health and with confidence.

One of the most flexible ways we can help seniors stay in their own homes is through our Assess and Restore outpatient services. We take a holistic approach to caring for people who are aging, restoring their health and ensuring they continue to thrive.

Our goal with Assess and Restore patients is to stabilize emerging health concerns and provide a care plan to get people well. We see many patients who are worried about falling; we see others who have difficulty managing their medications or are living with pain. Sometimes, they are isolated, leading to greater anxiety.

These symptoms are often ignored or minimized, until they land someone in the emergency room. Assess and Restore services can provide care before a crisis happens.

Through Assess and Restore, a team of professionals – including social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and pharmacists – takes a holistic assessment of their health. We can do that at Providence, or for those who need it, we offer home visits.

We also have a suite of day clinics to support ongoing care, such as Falls Prevention, Geriatric Psychiatry, and Medication Management.

Social worker Gillian Young recently recounted a moving story involving an older man who walked into Providence in tremendous distress. He had an appointment scheduled a month later with our Geriatric Psychiatrist, but he felt in desperate need to see a social worker that day. He knew he could count on Providence.

What emerged was a story of desperation; he was caring for a very sick family member to the point that his own health was compromised, and he was also struggling with mental health concerns. Together, he and Young formulated a short-term plan. They arranged an appointment with his family doctor that afternoon, discussed available resources within his community, and Young made two referrals that could give him immediate assistance.

A week later, they visited again and Young could see the positive change. He had seen his physician and connected with other resources. He was future-focused and able to talk about his path to wellness.

While they couldn’t solve everything in that short period of time, he is now being supported by the right people.

Anyone can come to Providence for assessment. We make it as easy as possible for seniors to get the care they need. A doctor or nurse practitioner can refer patients to Assess and Restore, and we also encourage self-referrals by calling 416-285-3744.