Innovative program provides expert advice in geriatric care

WATERLOO — An innovative new program developed in Waterloo aims to reduce drug complications in seniors by providing expert support to their health-care team.

“We really do need to work together to try and elevate the number of tools we have to keep our seniors healthy and well,” said Dr. Joanne Ho, founder of GeriMedRisk.

GeriMedRisk, operating out of the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, is a team of doctors and pharmacists specializing in geriatric medicine that provides advice to primary care providers about a patient’s care over the phone or via video conference.

“That way we don’t add to the number of doctors and the number of appointments,” Ho said.

That unique approach will allow more patients to be helped, despite the region’s shortfall in experts.

“We really don’t have that many specialists in geriatrics,” Ho said. “This is a way we might be more efficient.”

Senior patients are complex with multiple health issues and are at a higher risk of drug complications.

Many take five or more medications daily, and those multiple prescriptions can cause problems because drugs interact, people become more sensitive to medication as they age, and it takes longer for the body to clear it out.

“They’re more likely to die. They’re more likely to suffer difficulties with their memory, their mobility and also their mood,” Ho said.

The program wants to prevent and treat these complications to avoid hospital visits by offering advice to a patient’s family doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist, “to empower the patient’s health care team,” Ho said.

Connecting with specialists in the region, Toronto, Hamilton and London remotely will improve access to them for patients in the community, hospital or long-term care.

The team will discuss the patient and collaboratively decide what is needed. They can also quickly respond to a health-care provider’s questions related to geriatric medicine.

“There’s no question too small,” Ho said.

The program, supported by numerous nonprofit agencies as well as grants, started in May and has helped almost 50 patients from across Ontario. The goal is to grow to match the demand, and consultations coming from outside the region show there is a need for this clinical expertise, Ho said.

There’s been plenty of encouragement for the inventive program from local organizations, Ho said.

“The region has been very supportive.”

Learn more at www.gerimedrisk.com.