A new partnership between the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region and Niagara Health aims to help older adults better navigate the health-care system. The program, which started in 2024, puts dementia resource consultants directly in Niagara emergency departments.  

“We’re seeing more and more people coming in with cognitive changes — and more families looking for help,” says Laurie Angle, an NP with Niagara Health’s Geriatric Emergency Management team. “Older adult care is a priority for us. We know this population has unique needs and we’re building our systems around that.”

So far, the program has reached more than 300 individuals and helped at least 100 patients avoid unneeded hospital admissions through early intervention and connection to services in the community. Angle says this is crucial, as hospital stays can have negative health impacts for older adults, including an increased “risk of delirium, loss of mobility, hospital-acquired infections and functional decline. Our goal is to avoid unnecessary admissions by providing the right support, in the right place, at the right time.” (Niagara-On-The-Lake Local, Aug. 5)

Read RNAO’s evidence-based recommendations for this population in its BPG, Delirium, Dementia and Depression in Older Adults: Assessment and Care.