Easing The Transition To Long Term Care

Thursday, 27 February 2020 at 09:09

Already 85 people have gone through the Family Transition pilot program, which allows people on a waiting list, to live in Long Term Care for a brief period before moving in full time.

WOODSTOCK - The Family Transition pilot program at Woodingford Lodge is starting to gain attention.

Forging a better path to long-term care is designed to to help alleviate common stressors, depression and responsive behaviours related to moving into long-term care. Director Mark Dager says already they have had over 85 people come through the program.

"When we started our program and we provided updates previously, we were looking at about 20 people in the program, I'm very pleased to say that right now we are over 85 individuals who have come through our Family Transition Program. The value of that program, to give some context to it, is to allow individuals who are either anticipating long term care placement or who are on that waiting list, to have the opportunity to come in and live long term care before they actually move to long term care."

Dager says they have seen an improvement in the quality of life from the residents who have taken part in the program.

"So those 85 individuals that have come, we have certainly seen significant improvement in caregiver distress or burnout, because now they are supported by a team member to walk in that journey with them and their family member to long term care. Most importantly for the residents, we have seen an improvement with their quality of life, reduction in anxiety and depression."

Dager says the program is starting to gain attention.

"On a Provincial level we are gaining momentum, such as the Centre of Learning and Research Institute for Ontario, as well as the Mental Health Commission of Canada as well, so the Family Transition Program is certainly growing and our goal within a years time is to have it in other municipalities across Ontario as well."

You can read more about the Family Transition program online here.