Seniors

Geriatric psychiatry services work with seniors and their families in addressing the common challenges, difficulties and illnesses they have experienced with aging with the aim of attaining the best level of recovery and quality of life possible. Geriatric psychiatry refers to the study, prevention and treatment of mental illnesses experienced by adults 65 years of age and older.

Older adults may be living with mental illnesses that developed earlier in their life (such as depression, bipolar illness, anxiety disorders or schizophrenia) or may develop these disorders for the first time after the age of 65. In addition, older adults are more likely to develop cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer disease or other forms of dementia that complicate the management of their previously diagnosed health problems, alter personality and behaviours in a significant way and require specific treatment. All of these problems can be overwhelming if left untreated but effective treatments are available.

Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementias
Alzheimer disease is a brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s ability to learn, reason, make judgments, remember, orient oneself, communicate effectively and carry out daily activities. It often leads to substantial changes in personality and behaviour. Alzheimer disease is a form of dementia. Other dementias associated with aging also cause similar problems with memory, personality and behaviour but to varying degrees and include vascular dementias, Lewy body disease, frontal-temporal dementia and dementia of Parkinson disease.

The Geriatric Psychiatry Program of The Royal  provides a range of services to meet the mental health needs of adults 65 years of age and over.

Working together with families, primary care physicians, community psychiatrists and community agencies, our staff helps individuals improve the quality of their life and achieve their optimal level of functioning.

Our team of professionals includes psychiatrists specializing in the care of older adults, psychologists, nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, recreation therapists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, social workers and support staff as well as a dedicated group of volunteers. Services are provided in English and French.

The Geriatric Psychiatry Program provides treatment and support through a number of services designed to care for older adults according to their needs and in all stages of their illnesses.   Each service works closely with the patient’s family, primary care physicians, community psychiatrists and/or community agencies.

Outpatient Service
The Geriatric Outpatient service is a consultation service offering professional advice and psychiatric expertise to referring primary care physicians and psychiatrists.  Follow-up treatment may be offered for selected cases.

This service also provides the initial assessment for all patients referred to the Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital and in-patient units.

Outreach Service to Long Term Care Homes
The Geriatric Psychiatry Outreach Service to all Ottawa long-term care homes has been developed to assist administrators, physicians, and direct care staff of long-term care homes to meet the mental health needs of their residents.

A geriatric psychiatrist and outreach nurse team provide a minimum of monthly on-site assessments, recommendations and support for the implementation of treatment recommendations in each of the long-term care homes of Ottawa.  Case-based learning and formal teaching programs tailored to meet the educational needs of the long-term care staff are also provided. These nurse and psychiatrist teams also provided the liaison with hospital-based services of The Royal.

Geriatric psychiatrists from The Royal also provide the physician component to the following geriatric mental health outreach and community services.

• Renfrew County Geriatric Mental Health Outreach services
• Tri-county Mental Health Services geriatric team
• Lanark County Geriatric Mental Health Outreach services
• Leeds-Grenville Geriatric Mental Health Outreach services

All seniors’ mental health community services provide consultation to primary care physicians and psychiatrists, as well as comprehensive geriatric assessments and a period of treatment when required for selected cases.

Day Hospital
The Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital provides day treatment and crisis intervention for persons who require urgent and intensive treatment, but can live safely in the community.  This service can accommodate a total of 45 participants in the English and French components of the program.

The Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital provides assessment as well as individual and group treatment.  The group process provides the basic structure of daily programming.  The average length of stay for patients is approximately 12 to 16 weeks.

Ottawa In-patient Service
Patients with severe, multiple and/or complex psychiatric illnesses may be admitted to this 43-bed geriatric psychiatry unit for specialized treatment.  Patients have been evaluated by a geriatric psychiatrist either in a community clinic, a long-term care home or a hospital prior to admission.

This service is a resource for the entire Champlain region and admissions are prioritized by the referring geriatric psychiatrists who recommended admission.

Length of stay is approximately 4 to 6 weeks.  Planning for follow-up and/or continuation of care after discharge from this specialized inpatient service starts early, as we need to maintain access to this scarce resource for our region.  The transition back to the patient’s previous residence is facilitated by geriatric mental health outreach and day hospital services as appropriate.

Community Resources in Ottawa and Brockville Related to
Geriatric Care and Support

• Community Care Access Centre: 613.745.5525 — for in-home care and for referrals to long-term care
• Supported Living Services: 613.560.0622 — for placement in seniors residences or group homes when subsidy is needed
• Geriatric Psychiatry Community Services of Ottawa: 613.562.9777 – for psychiatric home support
• Lifestyle Enrichment for Senior Adults: 613.233.5430 — for addictions in people over age 55; provides counseling at home or in the office as well as group support
• Elisabeth-Bruyère Helpline Program: 613.562.6368 — an emergency response system whereby a person is linked to the Elisabeth-Bruyere Health Centre
• Alzheimer Society of Ottawa and Renfrew: 613.523.4004 – for family and individual support and education services, support groups and resource centre
• Bereaved Families of Ontario, Ottawa Region: 613.567.4278
• Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario: 1.800.875.6213
• Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security: 1.800.277.9914
• Centre Local Service Communautaire (CLSC) — Hull: 819.770.6900;
  Gatineau: 819.561.2550
• City of Ottawa Dental and Eyeglasses Subsidies: 613.560.6000 — The Employment and Financial Assistance Branch (EFA) provides dental subsidies to children and adults who are Ontario Works recipients, belong to low-income families, or are recipients of the Ontario Disability Support Program.
• Council on Aging of Ottawa: 613.789.3577 — works with and for seniors in the community to voice issues and concerns to all levels of government and to the general public.
• Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors in Ontario: 1.888.910.1999 — brings together in one document the programs and services provided to Ontario seniors by the government, as well as by community organizations and service providers.
• Hospice at May Court: 613.260.2906 — providing support and practical help for people and their families who are facing a life-threatening illness, regardless of age, religion or culture
• Housing Help: 613.563.4532 — housing information and assistance agency.
• Long-Term Care ACTION Line: 1.866.434.0144 – to make a complaint about a long-term care home
• Ontario Association of  Credit Counseling Services: 1.888.746.3328 – for assistance managing money and creating budgets
• Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP): 1.866.532.3161
• Ontario Residential Care Association (ORCA): 1.800.361.7254: monitors quality and standards for retirement residences in Ontario
• Ontario Women’s Health Network: 1.877.860.4545 — works with women, health and social service providers, community organizations and others to support equitable, accessible and effective health services for all women in Ontario.
• Ottawa Police, Service Elder Abuse Section: 613.236.1222 ext. 5639
• Ottawa Public Health: 613.580.6744 — legislated responsibility for delivering public health services including health protection, disease and injury prevention control of communicable diseases, family health services and responding to
  public health services.
• Para Transpo: 613.244.1289 — door-to-door transportation service for persons with disabilities who are unable to use conventional transit services.
• Parkinson’s Society Ottawa and Eastern Ontario: 613.722.9238: for
  information and support
• Pink Triangle Services: 613.563.4818 –charity and social service agency providing peer support, educational, research and advocacy services for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, two-spirit and queer persons in the National Capital Region. (ask for the SAGE group)
• Public Guardian and Trustee, includes Capacity Assessment Office: 1.800.366.0335
• Senior Moves: 613.832.0053 — helping seniors and their families with the downsizing process
• Senior Citizens  Council: 613.234.8044 — serves individual seniors and member organizations through a range of services and activities
• Veterans Affairs Canada: 1.866.522.2122