The program aims to detect falls (social isolation) before they occur

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Mildred Breault carefully steps onto a balance platform and raises her hands above her head. On either side of her are parallel bars if she needs them for support. Near her is a physical therapist who asks for additional support.

Balance work is part of Breault’s twice-weekly routine as a patient at the Bruyère geriatric day hospital. Without hesitation, the 78-year-old says the program has transformed her life by helping her become stronger, more stable and regaining her confidence. Her goal is to keep people like Breault healthy and independent for as long as possible.

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The retired high school principal and world traveler, who once spent a year traveling alone in Africa, was baffled on a recent trip to Mexico when she began experiencing falls.

“I haven’t fallen in years,” he said. But over a period of months, while traveling with his brother, she fell four times. She was not seriously injured, but she was worried. Her falls made her increasingly cautious and she began to question her abilities.

“I had traveled a lot and I saw that slipping away from me,” Breault said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself.”

Falls are common in people over 65 and can be devastating. Even when they do not cause serious physical injury, which is often the case, they can mark the beginning of a downward spiral that can be quickly exacerbated by lack of confidence and fear, and can negatively affect physical and mental well-being.

The John and Jennifer Ruddy de Bruyère Geriatric Day Hospital, one of a network of specialized geriatric services in the region, is an interprofessional rehabilitation program designed to help and support people at risk before something more serious happens and they end up in a hospital bed. Doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, social workers and more help patients stay active and engaged in their lives.

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At a time when thousands of patients, often elderly, are in hospital beds while waiting for a long-term care bed or home care, programs like Bruyère’s meet a growing need.

“I think the good thing is that we can often catch people before something major happens,” Dr. Veronique said. French, head of care for the elderly and doctor in Bruyère. “That part is really amazing, feeling like you’ve changed their trajectory.”

Social isolation, lack of physical fitness, medication, and more can affect some elderly patients’ ability to function well. By addressing individual issues and concerns, the program can help improve patients’ quality of life, she said.

“We’re looking at the whole person,” French said. “We see everyone here, from retired cabinet ministers to refugees and residential school survivors. “It’s really interesting to think about how we’re going to modify and adapt (treatments and therapies) to make sure we’re meeting the specific needs of the person in front of us.”

One of the goals of the program is to reduce, when possible, the number of medications patients take.

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Simply attending the program twice a week can be a first step toward a better quality of life for some patients, French said, because it can break a cycle of social isolation, fear and lack of fitness. Staff members help arrange transportation to make it easier for patients to get to their appointments.

Once patients are there, therapies and meetings aimed at improving walking confidence are key, said Dr. Anne Monahan, a physician at the geriatric day hospital.

By focusing on exercises that build strength and confidence in patients, making them more mobile, Monahan said, the program also targets the ripple effects of losing that confidence, such as a decline in community activity and mood, which can lead to social isolation. .

“What we offer is really a coordinated effort as a team to get them to recognize that yes, they have deficits, that they may not be able to accomplish the things in their daily lives that they were able to do before. , But there is still hope. We give them hope, we give them the feeling that they are being heard and we understand their problems,” Monahan said.

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“That often leads to this kind of magical transformation, which is not easy to measure but which tends to shine through in some of the testimonies we hear from people. In some cases, it can be quite noticeable.”

Breault, who lives independently in the home he has long shared with his brother, is among the patients who have experienced that kind of transformation during the eight-week program.

“It has given me my life back,” he says.

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