people - Trillium Health Centre Foundation

Comfort and caring: Social worker Shallah Jamal-Somani; Dr. Douglas Jay and Ruth JayLong-term carepatients to enjoyhealing gardenIntuitively, we knowthat gardens andnatural environmentsmake us feel better.Evidence shows thatgardens can actuallyreduce patient stress,anxiety and pain. Agenerous gift from theVolunteers of TrilliumHealth Centre to theFoundation will createa healing garden forComplex ContinuingCare patients, many ofwhom are seniors. Thegarden will provide ayear-round outdoorspace for interactionwith nature and agathering place forboth patients andtheir families.“It is much easier to copewith their support.”Ruth Jay loves music. She studied at TheRoyal Conservatory and used music toteach and inspire children for many years.Six years ago she was diagnosed withdementia and Alzheimer’s disease.Trillium Health Centre offers Seniors MentalHealth Outreach services that make anenormous difference for people like Ruthand her husband, Dr. Douglas Jay.With physician referral, Trillium’s communityhas access to an outreach program teamwhich consists of geriatric psychiatrists,nurses, occupational therapists and socialworkers. The family members are also viewedas part of the care team.The outreach team always remembers thatit is not just the patient who is dealing withthe mental illness.“Members of the outreach team visit usfrequently. They maintain a consistentconnection with us,” says Dr. Jay. “Theteam is concerned about the caregiver too.They always ask me how I’m doing. It ismuch easier to cope with their support.”The Mississauga Halton Local HealthIntegration Network (LHIN) recently designatedTrillium as the regional lead in two importantareas: Seniors Mental Health Outreach Servicesand Specialized Geriatric Services.Always sensitive to the specialized health careneeds of seniors, Trillium continues to evolveprograms and services for seniors. Trilliumrecently launched a number of new initiativesfor seniors, including:Expanded Seniors Medical OutreachService - Health professionals will visit frailseniors in their own homes to inquire abouttheir health, conduct assessments andprovide recommendations and follow-upwith their family physicians.New Continence Clinics - Many seniorsstruggle to deal with bladder or bowelconcerns. In addition to the Trillium–WestToronto location, new community-basedcontinence clinics have opened in Oakvilleand North Mississauga where seniors cancall directly to set up an appointment – nophysician referral is necessary. A third clinicwill be opening in Milton soon.6trilliumhealthcentre.org/communityreport