b'UNDERSTANDING FRAILTYUniversity, Dr. Rockwood is also a Canadian Institutes of Health ResearchPerley HealthInvestigator, a Staff Physician at Halifaxs QEII Health Sciences Centre and theHome to 450 seniors and veterans in long-term care and another Nova Scotia Health Authority Senior150 in independent apartments, Perley Health provides a full range Medical Director (Acute Medicine). of clinical, therapeutic and recreational services. It is also a centre for research, education and clinical innovation. The Centre of Excellence Todays long-term care residents tendin Frailty-Informed Care, established in 2019, conducts and shares to be more clinically complex and tothe practical research needed to improve care. Caregivers come to have more chronic illness than in thePerley Health to study and to acquire hands-on skills and experience.past, he says. The higher the degree of frailty, the harder it is to recover and return to baselineand by baseline, we mean what a resident was like two weeks earlier. And some may never get back to baseline. Dr. Rockwood believes that identifying and tracking frailty enables care teamsAdvanced Care Groupto deliver individualized, person-centredAdvanced Home Care Solutionscare informed by a residents strengthsAdvanced Care Solutionsand weaknesses. He encourages clinicians and policymakers alike to reconsider what it means to get better. We have to frame the care of frail patients in a morally neutral way, he says. Terms such as bed blockers and hallway medicine can serve to shift blame onto patients and away fromthe fundamental problems of theacute-care approach.Since 2019, all Perley Health residents participate in SeeMe. To support its implementation, Perley Health has developed a range of resources, including a training program for staff, and continues to conductfurther evaluations. A deeper understanding of frailty helps everyoneresidents, families and caregiverscommunicate more effectively and make better decisions, says Dr. Robert. One of the tragedies of medicine is that it over-medicalizes end-of-life care and death. In manyOur focus & expertisecases, I think were better off focusingis offering highly qualified health care professionals on caring rather than curing. Toto our health care partners in acute & residentialimprove long-term care, we need tolong-term care facilities. develop, implement and validate more innovations like SeeMe. LTCT We are committed to the highest level of accountability & transparency and are guided by ethics & principles that we consistently monitor & adhere to. Our goal is to bring nursing care To learn more or to request& support to those who have too little of it. We provide front line SeeMe resources, please& allied health staff to your site for short-term placements.email Andrea Liu ataliu@perleyhealth.ca, orcall her at 613-526-7170 x2445. Call us today for more information1-888-280-6185www.oltca.com LONG TERM CARE TODAY 37'