Frail seniors to benefit from more in-home support services

Frail Island seniors in Queens County can now receive in-home support for their health needs.

The province has hired a nurse practitioner to support the expansion of the Caring for Older Adults in Community and at Home (COACH) program in Queens County.

The expansion was budgeted at a cost of $140,000 in P.E.I.’s 201819 operating budget.

First launched in 2015 as a pilot program in Montague, COACH was developed in partnership with home care, primary care and the provincial geriatric programs to support frail seniors living in the community.

The program has since expanded to the Souris, Summerside and O’Leary areas and now supports 60 Island seniors.

Island seniors must be referred to the COACH program by their primary care provider, a geriatrician, geriatric program nurse practitioner or a home-care coordinator.

COACH is delivered by an integrated, interdisciplinary team of health care professionals who collaborate with existing resources home care, primary care and the provincial geriatric programs.

The nurse practitioner acts as the interconnecting “glue” between various sectors of the healthcare system.

They can provide direct patient care in the homes of frail seniors, treat seniors on a timely basis to prevent further complications and the need for emergency services and hospital admissions and encourage advanced care planning and access to community support.

“Through the COACH program we are working collaboratively with other programs, services and health care providers to support frail seniors who wish to remain in their homes and enjoy a quality of life that they deserve,” said Mary Sullivan, director of home and geriatric care.

“To now be able to offer that level of support to frail seniors across the province is incredibly exciting for our staff and lifechanging for our clients.”