BAYCREST CENTRE AND THE BAYCREST CENTRE FOUNDATION ANNUAL REVIEW 2004-2005 Caring for the community, Sharing what we learn. mission baycrest centre the baycrest The mission of Baycrest for geriatric care centre foundation Caring for the community, is to enrich the quality 2 36 of life of the elderly Message from the Chair Message from the Sharing what we learn. guided always by the of the Board and Chair of the Board and principles of Judaism. the President & CEO the President Baycrest has built an international reputation as vision 6 39 Baycrest will transform Help and hope for families Board of Directors a leader in care, research and education related the way people age and living with diseases of the mind advance care and quality 41 to the aging body and mind. We are a community of life to a new level, through 10 2004-2005 the power of research and Reaching out to stroke survivors Foundation Highlights organization with the strengths and the responsibility education, and with a focus to share our knowledge to benefit aging adults on brain functioning 14 our supporters and mental health. Learning how to remember 48 throughout the province, across the country and Baycrest Donors Baycrest is an academic 18 around the globe. centre affiliated with the Releasing the sadness 66 University of Toronto. Family of Fundholders baycrest centre for geriatric care 22 Annual Review 2004-2005 Baycrest Programs and Services 26 Baycrest in the News 29 Board Members, Senior Management and Medical Advisory Committee 2 baycrest centre annual review 2004-05 3 A local Organization with an International Reach What is Baycrest? The more people you ask, the we have long prided ourselves on the continuum of programs and services we offer to older adults at every stage of their later years. We’ve more answers you are likely to get. That’s because worked hard to grow and to change in response to the areas of greatest need. Baycrest is different things to different people. And during the past 87 years, we’ve built up an international reputation as a progressive and innovative leader in care, research and education related to the aging body and mind. A Message from We are known as a care provider and a family support network, an expert stephen w. herbert, on physical, mental and emotional conditions that affect aging adults, a clinical President and training ground for students and health professionals, and a reliable source Chief Executive Officer and fran sonshine, for new research findings about care practices and the brain and cognition. Chair, Board of Directors We see ourselves as an organization created to enrich the quality of life of the elderly, which means we are responsible for leading by example. For the past three years, we have been striving to integrate care, research and education so that our clients and their families benefit from the latest knowledge and evidence-based care. We have also focused our attention on identifying how we can most effectively meet our goal of becoming an international leader in brain functioning and mental health in order to respond to the urgent needs of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, mood disorders such as depression, and problems related to stroke. 4 baycrest centre annual review 2004-05 5 We have also focused our attention on identifying Technology has given us the ability to extend our knowledge in a unique way. As you will read in this annual review, stroke survivors in Thunder Bay took part in a unique how we can most effectively meet our goal of education and exercise program at Baycrest through videoconferencing, and there is a proposal to make it available to remote communities in northern Ontario where no such becoming an international leader in brain functioning programs exist. A one-of-a-kind program for amnesics is using cutting-edge memory and mental health in order to respond to the urgent research and the palmOne hand-held computer to give some independence back to people with severe memory loss. needs of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, And breakthrough research by Dr. Helen Mayberg involving the surgical implant mood disorders and problems related to stroke. of electrodes in the brain has received international attention for turning around the lives of people suffering from severe depression who have not responded to other forms of treatment. The official opening of the Brain Health Centre Clinics by Premier Dalton McGuinty These major accomplishments are having a direct impact on people’s quality of life in January 2005 represents our commitment to this vision. The Premier applauded the and exemplify the successful integration of care, research and education. They also Clinics’ innovative approach to out-patient care for people with conditions such as illustrate how a local organization like Baycrest has the potential to extend its reach to depression, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia from stroke. He said, “You are bringing older adults throughout the province, across the country and around the globe. hope to our families, our community and to the world.” We are particularly proud of these achievements, and many others, given the serious But our success depends in large part on building partnerships and pooling resources financial constraints within our health care system. Our ability to keep moving forward with academic institutions and other university-affiliated hospitals that share our goals and has been made possible by the steadfast and generous support of our community. have a high calibre of expertise in disorders that affect brain function. We would like to thank our staff, volunteers, clients, families, donors, community The Neuroscience Alliance recently formed with Sunnybrook & Women’s College and partners for giving Baycrest the confidence to set far-reaching goals and the ability Health Sciences Centre and St. John’s Rehabilitation Hospital is a prime example of to attain them. how Baycrest is working with others to create a coordinated approach to care for people with brain disorders such as stroke, from onset through to rehabilitation and long-term management. fran sonshine stephen w. herbert Other important steps moving us towards our goal of being a leader in brain functioning and mental health include initiatives to deliver our expertise to other communities in Chair, Board of Directors President and Chief Executive Officer Ontario, throughout Canada, and around the world. annual review 2004-05 7 Help and hope for families living with diseases of the mind sitting arm in arm on the red velvet sofa in their living room, Syd and Mary Perlmutter look as happy and in love as the day they were married 55 years ago. Mary kisses Syd on the cheek and the forehead and tells him how much she loves him. “He’s such a lovely man,” she says as she puts her head on his shoulder. Mornings are good for Mary, but by the afternoon she starts getting restless and can’t stay still. It’s one of the common effects of Alzheimer’s disease and Syd has learned that taking her for a drive in the car, even for 15 minutes, usually calms her down. Since Mary was diagnosed in 1997 at the age of 68 by Baycrest behavioural neurologist Dr. Morris Freedman, Syd, who is 80, has had to learn a lot about Alzheimer’s and how to care for his wife. And he says Baycrest has been there to help him along the way. They now attend the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic, part of the new Brain Health Centre Clinics at Baycrest, which provides diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management for people with memory disorders, and offers education and support to family members and referrals to Baycrest and other community resources. “I always feel like we’re getting the very best and the latest information about drug therapy and treatment for Alzheimer’s,” says Syd. “There’s no question in my mind that the help Mary has received here has delayed the progress of the disease.” 8 baycrest centre annual NATIONALreview 2004-05 FOCUS 9 “In the Brain Health Centre, we’re exploring new so they can manage in their own homes. form of dementia often develop depression The evaluation process is being streamlined and can be referred to the Mood Clinic.” and innovative ways to diagnose and manage to reduce wait times, and researchers are Patients also take part in research studies working side-by-side with clinicians to that are helping scientists better understand dementia, and I believe that we’re going to be leaders ensure that patients benefit from the most the brain in order to develop new methods in the development of new models that will help current scientific knowledge in diagnosis of treatment and improved care. and treatment. Dr. Jon Ween, director of the Stroke patients with dementia in the future.” “We’re very fortunate to have multiple and Cognition Clinic, conducts research disciplines working together, such as social to try to predict outcome after stroke. dr. morris freedman, director of the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic work, nursing, psychology, occupational “I’m also interested in how the brain therapy and speech language pathology,” reorganizes after stroke to assist the patient says Dr. David Conn, director of the Mood in recovering from the deficits that they’ve Syd knows that he can call the clinic by Premier Dalton McGuinty in January Clinic. “And one of the big advantages of suffered,” he explains. whenever he has a concern. Nurse clinician 2005. The others are the Mood and Related the centre is that we can see patients in Syd Perlmutter says that he and Mary Mindy Halper is his first contact and offers Disorders Clinic for people with conditions more than one clinic.