News

Making seniors more comfortable
Jay Gutteridge

Residents at Specialty Care Bradford Valley can now see a medical specialist from the comfort of the facility.

Bradford Valley is now one of 20 long-term care homes in Ontario offering telemedicine services.

“The exciting thing for us is it’s an opportunity for long-term care homes to be partners in improving care,” Christina Bisanz, chief executive officer of the Ontario Long Term Care Association, said.

Telemedicine uses video conferencing technology equipped with examination cameras and digital stethoscopes to allow medical professionals to meet with patients from afar.

In this case, a long-term care home outreach team from Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket will act as the partners on the other end of the line, operating out of an office in Newmarket’s Tannery Mall. The team is led by clinical nurse specialist Colleen Rideout.

“One of our biggest challenges is transportation to specialists,” said Catherine Bennett, nurse practitioner at Bradford Valley, noting the new technology will allow residents to stay at the facility for many medical services.

Ms Bisanz also noted transportation for medical examinations and treatments can be disruptive and stressful to frail, elderly residents of long-term care homes, particularly if they suffer from dementia.

The technology will also allow for long-distance training for staff at Bradford Valley, Ms Bennett said.

The services won’t just benefit people living or working in long-term care facilities, Ms Bisanz said, noting it will reduce demands on the province’s ambulances and hospitals, making health care more efficient for everyone.

The Ontario Telemedicine Network, which is funded by the provincial government, is gradually rolling out the new technology to the more than 600 long-term care facilities across the province