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| Name |
Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care |
| Address |
3560 Bathurst Street |
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| Town |
Toronto |
| State |
Ontario |
| Country |
Canada |
| Post Code |
M6A 2E1 |
| Phone |
416 785 2500 |
| Fax |
416 785 2378 |
| Email |
webmaster@baycrest.org |
| Website |
YES
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About Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
** About Baycrest **
Located in Toronto, Baycrest is one of the world's 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 tomorrow's 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 2,500 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 472-bed 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 Kunin-Lunenfeld 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 Alzheimer's, stroke, depression -- but the responsibility. Whether it is through our international telehealth program, on-line 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 18-acre campus on Bathurst Street. Each day, Baycrest addresses the needs of more than 2,500 people, including frail elderly individuals as well as active seniors.
Baycrest’s 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 people’s 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 self-direct 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.
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History Of Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
1918 - Baycrest's 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 women's group, collects money door-to-door and opens the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home in a semi-detached 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 Aged/Baycrest 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 "ultra-modern care," providing private and semi-private 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 Aged/Baycrest 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 "ultra-modern care," providing private and semi-private 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 Alzheimer's disease and stroke, using new imaging techniques such as PET (Positron Emission Tomography).
In recent years, Baycrest's research activities have expanded to include the Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation Unit (est. 1995) which evaluates clinical programs and conducts long-term 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 Kunin-Lunenfeld 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 fund-raising 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, home-like 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.
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