7 Numbers Every North Shore Senior Needs info sheet bridges information gap
Whether you’re a senior, a caregiver, or a family physician trying to help a patient navigate the world of pamphlets and phone numbers, finding the appropriate service or program can be a time-consuming challenge in this era of information overload.
In fact, access to information was one of the dominant issues at the Keeping Seniors Well community engagement forums hosted by Vancouver Coastal Health in the summer of 2015. The forums were held to gather input on how to develop a new model of care for seniors that would enable them to stay in their homes, which is universally accepted as the best place to manage their health conditions, recover from illness and live their lives.
Working in consultation with the Division of Family Practice and community reference groups, VCH has developed a one-pager of key phone numbers that will quickly guide seniors to the right resource in their community.
It’s called 7 Numbers Every North Shore Senior Needs and the goal is to make it available to all seniors, caregivers and family physicians on the North Shore. The numbers include the phone number, when it’s available, why a senior needs it and what it can offer.
Click on 7-numbers-for-seniors-12Final to see the full sheet.
“There are many resources and programs available in the community, but seniors have told us they are overwhelmed with the vast amount of information and asked how it can be collected in one place to have right at their fingertips. This information sheet is our attempt at bridging that information gap,” says Laurie Leith, Director, Home and Community Care.
“We’re hoping seniors or their caregivers will keep this sheet in an easy-to-access location – on their fridge or a bulletin board in the kitchen for instance.”
Sheet a “useful tool”
Although not a senior, North Shore resident Kathy Quee was asked to join the seniors’ reference group by a primary care nurse, who was involved in her mother’s care and who thought her experiences would prove invaluable.
“I am not a senior as yet but close,” says Kathy, a BCIT nursing instructor. “I got involved with the group as a caregiver for my mother who at the time was being cared for by the North Shore Palliative Home Care Team.”
Part of Kathy’s role in the reference group was gathering data, generating ideas and helping find solutions to address the gaps in seniors’ services. The 7 Numbers Every North Shore Senior Needs is a useful tool, she says.
“In my experience many people are at a loss as to where to begin seeking services for seniors… These numbers give seniors, family members and others a place to get information, ask questions and obtain direction,” says Kathy, who’s already shared the sheet widely in the community.
“I’ve also sent the sheet to a key contact leader in the Ismaili community. She hears of many seniors in their community who need services and don’t know how to access them. So far, the sheet has been very well received.”
Staff and physicians can direct patients to www.vch.ca/seniors so they can download and print a PDF themselves.