Ontario Families and Caregivers Welcome New Registry

TORONTO, May 19, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Families and caregivers from across Ontario welcomed the creation of a new online registry that will protect seniors and improve access to quality home care in the province at a time when demand is growing.

Ontario is launching a registry that will help raise standards and provide better access to high-quality personal support and respite care for families who look after loved ones with chronic conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

The new system will also help keep vulnerable seniors safe, and for the first time register and track up to 100,000 Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in the province who provide care to the elderly at home and in long-term care facilities.

"The creation of a registry of Personal Support Workers will provide peace of mind to seniors and family caregivers, and increase access to quality care," said Sharleen Stewart, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents more than 50,000 frontline healthcare workers in Ontario.

"This is an important first step in strengthening home care in Ontario, and lays the foundation for enhanced training for caregivers," said Ms. Stewart.

Personal Support Workers applauded the creation of a registry as an important step in providing long overdue recognition for their profession, which is playing an increasingly important role in caring for an aging population.

"I feel the role Personal Support Workers play in the health system is finally being recognized in this province," said Yvonne Greaves, who has been providing care at home to the frail, sick, and dying in the Toronto area for more than two decades.

Demand for PSWs is forecast to double by 2031, as baby boomers retire and demand for home care grows. More than 80 per cent of people in Ontario would prefer to receive care at home, according to a recent survey.

"The creation of a provincial registry formally incorporating best practices in the training and education of Ontario's Personal Support Workers is an exciting and much-needed health initiative," says David Harvey, Chief Public Policy and Program Initiatives Officer, Alzheimer Society of Ontario.

Improved training of PSWs and greater support for family caregivers has been the cornerstone of the Alzheimer Society's call for an Ontario-wide dementia action plan.

"We've been working closely with our colleagues in Government, so today's announcement is welcome news," Mr. Harvey adds.

"It's a win-win, improving training and support of PSWs and influencing better outcomes for families and people living with dementia."

The registry will help the province identify and address shortages of PSWs, and will allow people with disabilities and families to access flexible, self-directed care from qualified healthcare workers.

Family caregivers from Sudbury, Ottawa, Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto, and Niagara - as well as PSWs from across Ontario - applauded the creation of the registry at a ceremony at Queen's Park addressed by Minister of Health & Long-Term Care Deb Matthews.

The province is expected to require nursing homes and home care providers that receive public funding to verify their employees have been added to the registry by the end of the year. Health organizations will also be required to report incidents of abuse.

The registry is expected to invite PSWs to register in the fall and to open to family caregives by the spring.

Lucette Gilbert Has Been Riding Her Bike for 70 Years and She's Still Going Strong! (Video)

My NYC Biking Story: Lucette Gilbert from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

from TreeHugger.com
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada

"It's so heartwarming to see how many people are biking now."

Our friend Elizabeth at Streetfilms has produced another New York City cyclist profile, and this one is very inspiring. Lucette Gilbert tells us about her biking history and why she likes it so much, and her words have the weight of experience: She's in her "very late 70s", in her own words, and she's been moving around on two wheels since she was 7 and living in France. She seems to have great "joie de vivre", and the exercise has no doubt been beneficial to her health.

Via Streetfilms.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2011

"Vulnerability in Senior Immigrants: Context, Causes, and Consequences"

Please join us on June 15 for a continental breakfast and lecture to mark

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2011



Project Wisdom is pleased to invite you to a public lecture by Dr. Kenise Murphy Kilbride, founding member and Seniors Scholar at the Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement (CERIS - The Ontario Metropolis Centre)

Don't miss this opportunity to hear about timely research with immigrant seniors and their families in Ontario!

June 15, 2011 at the Cutten Club
190 College Ave East,
Guelph, Ontario
8:30am - 12:00pm

Register by June 3rd

Please indicate language interpretation needs at time of registration.

To RSVP Contact Ella Henderson: 519-836-2222 ext. 257

This project is funded by the Government of Canada

OCSA reveals results of new poll at launch of Aging with Dignity campaign

Ontarians to political parties, health care policy makers: Make home and community care services a funding priority

TORONTO, May 11, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - A new poll shows Ontarians support more public investment in home and community support services with six in ten (59%) agreeing new funding is better designated to these preventative care services rather than facilities and full-time nursing care. A majority of Ontarians (62%) also believe non-profit home and community support services deserve to be prioritized equally alongside long-term-care facilities and hospitals. This would represent a major shift in how non-profit home and community support services are financed, as these services currently receive a much smaller percentage of the health budget compared to hospitals and long-term-care facilities. One-in-five Ontarians (21%) think home and community support services should be the greater priority.

The poll was released by the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) at the launch of its new Aging with Dignity (www.agingwithdignity.ca) campaign to put home and community care issues on the provincial election agenda. The campaign will engage Ontarians in a serious discussion on the future of health care and advocate for significant policy commitments from all political parties on home and community care. Members of OCSA were at Queen's Park for the launch of the campaign and the organization's annual MPP reception.

"Greater public investments in home care and community support services is consistent with the advice of health planning experts who clearly identify this sector as the best, most affordable option for the long term sustainable delivery of health care," said Susan Thorning, CEO of OCSA. "Ontario faces the twin challenges of delivering quality, compassionate care to an aging population and managing the corresponding increases in costs to the public system. Such challenges require structural change and innovative thinking."

Access to home and community care services helps to keep people out of hospitals and long-term-care facilities. Many people lying in hospital room beds or sitting on waiting lists for long-term-care homes do not require daily medical care, they just need help with things like bathing, household tasks or transportation to medical appointments. In fact, it is far more cost effective to help seniors stay healthy and at home than sick and in institutions. It is also where people want to be - in their own homes.

According to the poll, two thirds of Ontarians (64%) consider increasing public investments in non-profit home and community care a better use of public funds than giving tax credits to families who care for an elderly relative. A majority of residents in the 905 region of Ontario (70%), those aged 55 and over (72%) and those with a university education (69%) are most likely to support investments in services rather than tax credits.

"Every day we see seniors and people with disabilities who are living a healthier, more dignified and better quality of life because they are able to maintain a level of independence and remain in their own homes," said Raymond Applebaum, CEO, Peel Senior Link . "We must make home and community care services available to more Ontarians."

"This poll shows Ontarians get it when it comes to the best use of public health care funds," said Thorning. "It's now up to our political parties to demonstrate through their election commitments that they are listening to the people of Ontario."

About the OCSA

The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is the voice of the home and community support sector. Across the province each year, more than a million people receive home care and community support services such as in-home nursing, therapy and personal support, Meals on Wheels®, adult/Alzheimer day programs, transportation to medical appointments, supportive housing and attendant services for persons with disabilities. These services are important, cost-effective measures that prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and premature institutionalization. More information can be found at: www.ocsa.on.ca.

About the Poll

From May 5th to May 6th, 2011, an online survey was conducted among a randomly selected, representative sample of 815 Ontarian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panel members. Individuals were sampled according to Census data to be representative of the Ontarian provincial adult population. The full dataset has been statistically weighted according to the most current gender, age, region, and education Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Ontario. The margin of error is ±3.4%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Ontario Communities Gear Up to Celebrate Culture Days 2011 (Video)

Guelph Youthful Entertainer - Old Quebec Street Mall

TORONTO, May 9, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - More than 200 individual artists, arts organizations, cultural groups, libraries, museums and municipalities have already pre-registered activities in Ontario for the second annual Culture Days on September 30 to October 2, 2011.

Culture Days invites everyone to explore, discover and participate in arts and culture in every community across the country. The arts and culture sectors will offer free hands-on or behind-the-scenes activities including music, dance, visual arts, film, video, theatre, literature and many more. Today's national kick-off event is happening in Vancouver, B.C.

Full registration begins today. To register a Culture Days activity, visit www.culturedays.ca

Last September, Ontarians participated in 930 free Culture Days activities that took place in more than 160 towns and cities across the province. Ontario had the highest number of activities across the country with the exception of Quebec, where their Journées de la culture has been in existence for 14 years.

"Culture Days presents an excellent opportunity to showcase Ontario's vibrant arts and culture in communities throughout the province," said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture. "The extraordinary level of participation in the first year of Culture Days demonstrates the importance this sector has for Ontarians. As we anticipate the return of this great event, I know Culture Days will continue to build on its success."

The volunteer leadership shown by municipalities, community arts councils and ad-hoc cultural committees in rural communities, small towns, mid-sized cities and urban centres is a big factor in the growing popularity of Culture Days in Ontario.

"Grassroots movements like Culture Days provide encouragement for everyone's participation in culture. They shine a spotlight on how arts and heritage enrich our lives and build important partnerships and collaborations in our communities," said Warren Garrett, Chair of the volunteer task force for Ontario Culture Days.

New this year is the involvement of Ontario libraries. Their role in Culture Days is growing across the province as both activity organizers and as hub sites for the cultural community. In smaller communities such as Cobourg, Elgin County and Stratford, libraries will be Culture Days centres. In urban centres such as Toronto, library branches are supporting Culture Days outreach into diverse and underserved neighbourhoods.

The Toronto Public Library is offering some 45 branches as free venues to Toronto-based artists and arts organizations wishing to be part of Culture Days. Activity organizers wishing to hold their events at a TPL branch are invited to submit an application by June 10, 2011. For a list of participating branches and the application form for "Culture Days @ The Library" click here.

Info Sessions

Communities throughout the province are hosting Culture Days information sessions. Info sessions bring together artists, arts and cultural groups, municipal cultural staff, community arts councils, business improvement associations, local media and other people interested in forging collaborations to organize Culture Days 2011 activities. The following information sessions have been scheduled:

Kitchener May 17 4:30pm at the Victoria Park Pavilion, Brantford May 19 6pm at the Brantford Tourism Office, and Guelph May 25 2pm at the River Run Centre.



For more details about Ontario Culture Days announcements please visit: www.on.culturedays.ca. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

Culture Days in Ontario is supported by the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Government of Ontario.

Oldest Couple to be Married

Are your pets ready for an emergency?

This past week was "Emergency Preparedness Week". Health and safety officials from across Canada are reminding us... If an emergency were to strike tomorrow, would you have what you need to take care of you and your family for 72 hours?

The article below posted by the City of Saint John New Brunswick advises us to remember our pets as we prepare.

If the worst happens and you’re asked to evacuate your home, will you have everything you need for all your family members?

This Emergency Preparedness Week, think about your furry and feathered family members. If it isn’t safe for you to be home, it’s not safe for your pet.

Arrange a safe haven for your pet. Ask your friends and family if they would be willing to care for your pet while you are away from home. If you are asked to evacuate to an emergency shelter, remember most shelters will not accept pets for health and safety reasons. Contact the Animal Rescue League to find out who will provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets, or to get a list of pet-friendly facilities (such as hotels) where you can stay with your pet.

Prepare an evacuation kit for your pet. You’ll need a first aid kit (ask your vet); 3-7 days worth of canned or dry food (rotate every two months); disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans work well); litter or paper toweling; liquid dish soap and disinfectant; garbage bags; feeding dishes; a harness (better for safety); copies of your pets medical records; bottled water; crate or carrier (one for each pet); blanket; and recent photos of your pets (in case of separation). Pack a few toys and any other necessities you might think you’ll need. And don’t forget - this pet kit should complement the kit for the human members of your family.

The Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue encourages pet owners to let emergency responders know there are pets in the home. Post a notice where responders will see it (in a front window, for instance) with the types and numbers of pets in your household, as well as the name and number of your veterinarian. The SPCA Animal Rescue has stickers available for purchase. If you evacuate, write EVACUATED on the notice so emergency responders know you’ve left your home.

Blood test for Alzheimer's

MUHC study identifies procedure that detects early stages

MONTREAL, May 4, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - A new blood test that will diagnose Alzheimer's disease may soon hit the market, thanks to an innovative study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Their findings have characterized a unique biochemical diagnosis, which identifies patients with this devastating disorder. This research, published in the month's issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, has implications for the half-a-million Canadian sufferers and many millions more worldwide.

"Until now, there has been no definitive diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's, other than postmortem analysis of brain tissue," says senior author Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, director of the MUHC Research Institute. "Our clinical study shows that a non-invasive blood test, based on a biochemical process, may be successfully used to diagnose Alzheimer's at an early stage and differentiate it from other types of dementia."

The biochemistry behind the test

Papadopoulos and colleagues based the Alzheimer's blood test on the production of a brain hormone called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). This hormone is present at high levels in the brain where it has a wide range of biological effects.

The researchers were able to promote the production of DHEA, using a chemical process called oxidation, in blood taken from non-Alzheimer's patients. However, oxidation of blood from Alzheimer's patients did not result in an increase of DHEA.

"There is a clear correlation between the lack of ability to produce DHEA through oxidation in the blood and the degree of cognitive impairment found in Alzheimer's disease," says Papadopoulos. "We demonstrated we could accurately and repetitively detect Alzheimer's disease, with small samples of blood. This test also allowed for differential diagnosis of early stages of Alzheimer's disease, suggesting this can be used as a test to diagnose the disease in its infancy."

Treatment implications

"There are many candidate disease-modifying therapies that target the underlying development of Alzheimer's disease, which are in clinical trials," adds Papadopoulos. "However, the implementation of any therapy is dependant on the reliability of the diagnosis."

Currently the diagnosis of Alzheimer's follows the sequence of family history, information, mental assessment and the physical exam, focusing on neurological signs.

"An accurate, easy and specific non-invasive biochemical test that correlates with clinical findings is vital. We believe our results demonstrate that the DHEA-oxidation blood test can be used to diagnose Alzheimer's at a very early stage and monitor the effect of therapies and the evolution of the disease."

About this study:

The study, A lead study on oxidative stress-mediated dehydroepiandrosterone formation in serum: The biochemical basis for a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, was authored by Georges Rammouz, Laurent Lecanu and Vassilios Papadopoulos from the MUHC Research Institute and McGill University; Paul Aisen from the University of California at San Diego.

Partners in research:

This work was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health and Samaritan Pharmaceuticals.

Related links:

Cited study: http://www.j-alz.com
Research Institute of the MUHC: http://muhc.ca/research/dashboard
McGill University: http://www.mcgill.ca/

Clean Hands Save Lives

Canadian healthcare organizations take part in STOP! Clean Your Hands Day

BRANTFORD, Ontario, May 5, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI), Accreditation Canada and the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association-Canada (CHICA-Canada), have joined forces to support the practice of optimal hand hygiene in healthcare.

Stop! Clean Your Hands Day is taking place today. CPSI is leading the Canadian initiative in conjunction with the World Health Organization's global program. The day is an opportunity for healthcare organizations to get creative with promoting and practicing effective hand hygiene. More than 800 healthcare organizations have registered for STOP! Clean Your Hands Day.

"Effective hand hygiene is the most important thing you can do to protect patients from healthcare associated infections," says Hugh MacLeod, CEO of CPSI. "We believe that every patient experience should be safe and that preventing harm is worth the effort. I applaud those organizations that are taking part in STOP! Clean Your Hands Day."

The launch of STOP! Clean Your Hands Day is being celebrated at Brant Community Healthcare System. Their viral video "I Wanna Wash My Hands" is the inspiration behind the Canadian Hand Hygiene Video Competition which was announced today.

The competition is a chance for organizations to showcase their commitment to hand hygiene excellence. The Canadian Hand Hygiene Faculty will serve as judges for the competition and a prize will be awarded to the winning organization.

"One of the single most effective means of curbing the spread of infection is proper hand hygiene," says Wendy Nicklin, President and CEO of Accreditation Canada. "To keep ourselves and our patients safe we must not only commit to improving, we must make hand hygiene our priority and our practice."

"For nearly 200 years there has been evidence that performing hand hygiene is THE primary action people can take to prevent infection and protect themselves from common viral illness," says Donna Wiens, RN, BN, CIC, President, CHICA-Canada. "It is so simple and effective; yet even in healthcare settings hand hygiene is bypassed nearly 50 per cent of time. Let's all get on board, for our clients, families and ourselves. Promote best practice in hand hygiene, just STOP! Clean Your Hands."

London Health Sciences Centre announces cardiac surgery world first

Pacemaker complication repaired using minimally invasive surgery

LONDON, Ontario, May 3, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is proud to announce another world first. LHSC's cardiac surgery team successfully performed an emergency surgery to repair a hole in a patient's heart caused by a pacemaker complication using the DaVinci robot.

On February 15, 2011, LHSC cardiac surgeon, Dr. Bob Kiaii received an emergency page. Patient Viola Addison had a hole in her heart that required immediate repair. The hole was caused by a pacemaker lead that had perforated the wall of her heart. Traditionally, this surgery is done via open chest surgery.

"The use of robotic surgery allows us to continually improve our surgery techniques and treat patients who are considered high risk for traditional surgery in a less invasive way," says Dr. Kiaii. "The heart is a moving object - as it pumps blood and oxygen throughout the body the heart walls move in and out. This movement makes traditional endoscopic surgery very risky and challenging. The robot gives me the manual dexterity needed to perform surgeries that require precision like this one."

With Ms. Addison's chest closed, and using the robot on the beating heart, Dr. Kiaii placed a suture around the hole where the pacemaker lead had perforated through the wall of the heart. Next, the cardiology team pulled the pacemaker lead back into place while the surgery team closed the hole. This minimally invasive approach resulted in no bleeding, no complications and left Ms. Addison with only three small keyhole incisions. The surgery team was able to anchor the same pacemaker lead to a new position.

After a two-day stay at the hospital, Ms. Addison went home. Ms. Addison says for her the surgery was a "breeze":

"I am not in any pain and I am no longer out of breath. I don't know where I would be without the surgery - it was something that had to be done."

Surgical robots have been used in London since 1999 when LHSC acquired its first surgical robot. In 2000, LHSC established CSTAR, Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics, as a research and education program in partnership with Lawson Health Research Institute and The University of Western Ontario to advance minimally invasive robotic surgeries.

LHSC's President and CEO, Bonnie Adamson congratulated the LHSC staff and surgeons.

"This is a great example of the ongoing and proud tradition of medical firsts at LHSC."

About London Health Sciences Centre

London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 135 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children's Hospital, South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, two family medical centres, and two research institutes - Children's Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, a joint research initiative with St. Joseph's Health Care, London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 50 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in Southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital's nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca

New OMA President says Health Care Should Be a Priority in Provincial Election

TORONTO, May 1, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, Dr. Stewart Kennedy becomes the 130th President of the Ontario Medical Association and brings with him a commitment to ensure health care is a priority in the upcoming provincial election. Dr. Kennedy commended the work that has been done over the past decade to improve patients' access to high quality health care, but noted there is more work to be done.

Dr. Kennedy pointed to a policy platform that was released earlier this year by Ontario's doctors entitled, "Better care. Healthier patients. A stronger Ontario." The document presented a thoughtful and practical set of 41 policy recommendations that will have a positive impact on patient care and help strengthen Ontario's health-care system. Ontario's doctors hope political parties will incorporate some of these recommendations into their respective platforms.

"With the upcoming provincial election, there is no better time to start building a stronger, more patient focused health care system. Ontario's doctors know that health care is a priority among Ontarians and we hope all political parties will make health care a priority in the election on October 6th." - Dr. Stewart Kennedy, President, Ontario Medical Association

Dr. Kennedy has been practicing comprehensive family medicine with active hospital privileges in Thunder Bay for over 25 years. In the coming year, Dr. Kennedy will focus on a number of initiatives including:

...To develop new partnerships and work collaboratively with other Associations and stakeholders to improve access to health care services for patients across Ontario;

...Working with government and other health care partners to create a sustainable health care system for future generations;

...Promoting the expansion of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) for physicians and patients;

...and Continue to promote initiatives that enhance quality and more effective patient care.

"Ontario's doctors are committed to providing high quality care for patients, and to help identify and develop innovative strategies to ensure the health care system is well equipped to provide the care patients need, when and where they need it. Health care must be a priority in the next election." - Dr. Stewart Kennedy

Dr. Kennedy's first day as OMA President coincides with Ontario's first annual "Doctors' Day." In April the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed a motion introduced by Richmond Hill MPP, Reza Moridi. Dr. Kennedy noted that Doctors' Day provides Ontarians and patients an opportunity to show their appreciation and gratitude to the 26,000 practising doctors across the province.

Dr. Kennedy commended outgoing president Dr. Mark MacLeod for beginning the dialogue on health care sustainability leading into the provincial election.

Quick Facts

...Today, health care sector spending accounts for 46 cents of every program dollar and could consume nearly 70 cents in 12 years if left unchecked;

...Since 2004, Ontario's doctors have helped over 1.3 million patients find a physician;

...Every day Ontario doctors treat over 400,000 patients.

...By 2013, we will have doubled the number of doctors graduating from Ontario Universities every year - from 533 to 1,064.

...Over 5,000 doctors now manage patients' health information electronically, and more than 5 million Ontarians have an electronic medical record