Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care

Name :

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care

Address  :

3560 Bathurst Street

Town  :

Toronto

State  :

Ontario

Country  :

CANADA

Post Code:

M6A 2E1

Phone  :

416 785 2500

Fax  :

416 785 2378

Web URL  :

Available

Email  :

webmaster@baycrest.org

Description

About Baycrest
Located in Toronto Baycrest is one of the worlds premier academic health sciences centers focused on aging Through its strengths in research and education Baycrest is using the power of inquiry and discovery to improve the health of tomorrows elderly while at the same time care for and enhance the quality of life of the elderly today

Baycrest provides care and service to approximately 2500 people a day through the Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System which includes a unique continuum of care from wellness programs residential housing and outpatient clinics to a 472bed nursing home and a 300 bed complex continuing care hospital facility with an acute care unit

Our Research Centre for Aging and the Brain includes the acclaimed Rotman Research Institute considered one of the top five brain institutes in the world and the KuninLunenfeld Applied Research Unit KLARU which conducts research alongside our clinicians and applies the results directly to client care Together the Rotman and KLARU are giving the world a whole new understanding and new hope about interventions and preventions that could transform aging

Through our Centre for Education on Aging we are sharing our expertise and knowledge locally nationally and internationally Baycrest believes that it not only has the ability to use its knowledge to help people around the world deal with diseases of aging such as Alzheimers stroke depression but the responsibility Whether it is through our international telehealth program online programming conferences or through other mediums we share our knowledge with professionals other health care organizations and the public

Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto Baycrest is playing a unique and important role in training and enlightening future professionals who will have the responsibility of caring for our aging population We also have linkages partnerships and appointments at other academic centres across the country continent and beyond

Background
Baycrest has a very unique and proud past The organization opened its doors in 1918 as the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home thanks to the vision of a group of dedicated and committed women who volunteered their time to care for the frail elderly in the Jewish community Since those early days the spirit of volunteerism the dedication and expertise of staff and the respect for the elderly have been the foundations of Baycrest The Centre has grown from its modest downtown Toronto roots to an internationally recognized academic health sciences centre located on an 18acre campus on Bathurst Street Each day Baycrest addresses the needs of more than 2500 people including frail elderly individuals as well as active seniors

Baycrests success can be attributed to a number of factors including its strength in

Addressing the diverse needs of the aging population

Enabling the elderly to realize their maximum physical psychosocial and
spiritual well being

Providing and facilitating services and programs to assist elderly people
to live in the community and offering a supportive and caring environment if
they cannot do so

Conducting activities in an innovative and fiscally responsible manner

Developing partnerships with clients families staff volunteers the
community and other care providers

Advancing knowledge of aging in cooperation with the University of Toronto
and other academic centres

Recognizing the generosity and commitment of volunteers clients families
and the Baycrest community

Attracting and retaining high quality and dedicated staff across all
disciplines

Baycrest has a proud past of responding to needs of the community through a strong focus That is in fact one of the roots of Baycrest The strategic plans of the past have provided a roadmap to allow for thoughtful growth and development including the appropriate allocation of resources while ensuring the philosophy of the organization has been upheld The result has been that Baycrest has grown from an organization known for providing care to the elderly to an academic health sciences centre with a reputation for excellence in care research and education related to geriatrics and aging

Baycrest however must continue to change and grow in order to respond to new needs and to new pressures Key drivers include

A rapidly growing aging population with increased demands for health care

A clear need for leadership in the area of brain disorders impacting the
aging population

Increased competition for health care resources both financial and human

Progress in disease prevention and health promotion as a result of research
and education in geriatrics and aging

Social trends and advances in technology reflecting older peoples desire to
age at home

For Baycrest the changing landscape provides an opportunity to sharpen its focus and review how it can best serve the needs of the aging population by leading from its strengths Although this is an exciting opportunity the realities of a financial deficit full capacity on site and competing needs mean that Baycrest must make wise choices The focus and principles for these choices are clearly set out in this strategic plan in the form of goals and objectives for the next five years and beyond

Mission
Baycrest is dedicated to achieving excellence in providing the best possible experience and care for the physical and mental wellbeing of people during their journey of aging

We draw inspiration from the ethical and cultural values of the Judaic heritage which support our commitment to the art and science of healing and the preservation of human dignity throughout the lifespan

Vision
We will be the global leader in providing innovative and effective solutions to the challenges inherent in the process of aging through the integration of exemplary clinical care education and scientific discovery

Strategic Goals
Integrate care research and education into the fabric of the organization

Develop and provide highly specialized services in cognition and mental
health

Develop and provide innovative and exceptional interprofessional care for
the aging population within the evolving health care system

Empower and support the individual to selfdirect their journey along the
process of aging

Develop and implement a sustainable business model

Be a workplace of choice where our people can excel and achieve their
personal best

History

1918 Baycrests forerunner the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home opens in downtown Toronto

The need
Jewish elderly in downtown Toronto need a place to live where they can eat Kosher food and talk to staff in their own language

The response
The Ezras Noshem Society a charitable womens group collects money doortodoor and opens the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home in a semidetached house on Cecil Street

Eventually it expands and cares for more than 100 elderly people from Ontario

1959 First day care program for elderly established
The need
Elderly people on the waiting list for the Jewish Home for the Aged need services to help them live independently until admission

The response
Baycrest Community Day Centre for Seniors offers older adults a supervised day program of social activities counselling and education It also provides meals transportation and access to Baycrest Services

In 1987 the Samuel Lunenfeld Special Day Care Centre opens providing a unique respite program to families caring for older relatives with moderate to severe cognitive impairment

1968 Baycrest builds a new Jewish Home for the Aged
The need
The waiting list for the Jewish Home for the AgedBaycrest Hospital has grown There is a need for a more modern spacious facility

The response
The Jewish Home for the Aged Abe and Elsie Posluns Building opens At the time it is considered an example of quotultramodern carequot providing private and semiprivate rooms with washrooms a large main floor dining room a synagogue and an auditorium Baycrest Hospital expands to occupy four floors in the former Home

1968 Baycrest builds a new Jewish Home for the Aged
The need
The waiting list for the Jewish Home for the AgedBaycrest Hospital has grown There is a need for a more modern spacious facility

The response
The Jewish Home for the Aged Abe and Elsie Posluns Building opens At the time it is considered an example of quotultramodern carequot providing private and semiprivate rooms with washrooms a large main floor dining room a synagogue and an auditorium Baycrest Hospital expands to occupy four floors in the former Home

1989 Rotman Research Institute brings top scientists to Baycrest

The need
There is a need to understand the behavioural changes which occur during aging in order to promote effective care and improved quality of life for the elderly

The response
Baycrest establishes the Rotman Research Institute to find new and better ways to care for the elderly and treat the diseases of aging Leading scientists in the field of brain research study memory brain function and conditions such as Alzheimers disease and stroke using new imaging techniques such as PET Positron Emission Tomography

In recent years Baycrests research activities have expanded to include the Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation Unit est 1995 which evaluates clinical programs and conducts longterm studies of health issues affecting older adults and the Kunin Lunenfeld Clinical Research Unit est 1996 which links researchers with Baycrest clinical departments to enable prompt implementation of research findings These two programs merged in 1998 to become the KuninLunenfeld Applied Research Unit

2000 Opening of The Apotex Centre Jewish Home for the Aged and The Louis and Leah Posluns Centre for Stroke and Cognition

The need
The current Jewish Home for the Aged constructed thirty years ago was designed for a younger more ambulatory and cognitively alert population Today people are entering institutions at a later age and a greater proportion are suffering cognitive impairment

The response
Following a 60 million fundraising campaign Baycrest built The Apotex Centre Jewish Home for the Aged and The Louis and Leah Posluns Centre for Stroke and Cognition It opened in 2000 and cares for 372 residents with progressive dementia and 100 residents with vascular dementia

The innovative design offers a new concept in homes for the aged Floors are organized into small homelike units each with its own kitchenette dining room and grooming centre The main floor brings a neighbourhood feeling indoors with courtyards retail outlets restaurants and activity centre