Ontario Connecting Seniors to Specialized Care and Support

 The Ontario government is investing more than $4.1 million over two years to expand GeriMedRisk, a program that makes it easier and faster for seniors living with complex medical needs to access coordinated care, in their community.

“Our government is continuing to take action to ensure people of all ages can access the right care, in the right place,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Our investment to expand GeriMedRisk will help Ontario’s seniors connect to the care they need, in their community, allowing them to stay at home longer with help to better manage their health and avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room.”

GeriMedRisk connects primary care providers with an interdisciplinary team of geriatric specialists that help create and support care plans for seniors to make it easier for older adult patients to connect to the specialized care they need.

Based out of the Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, the Ontario government expanded GeriMedRisk to be a province-wide service in 2019 to help seniors in every corner of the province benefit from the service. With today’s additional funding, up to 21 additional geriatric specialists and pharmacists will be hired to provide more than 1,000 additional consults annually, helping primary care providers improve their patients’ health and quality of life with:

• Fast, convenient and coordinated access to geriatric specialists during one appointment
• Timely education on how to manage their medication
• Fewer transfers to emergency departments and hospitals for seniors with complex medical needs, such as dementia
• Tools and supports to better manage complex conditions, such as dementia.

“GeriMedRisk is a made-in-Kitchener, innovative program that connects seniors in Waterloo Region and across the province to the care they need,” said Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga. “Our government is continuing to invest in expanding this important program, so more seniors will benefit from the support of a better, more connected and convenient health care system for years to come.”

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, Ontario is connecting seniors to faster and more convenient care by expanding access to services in their home or community.

“Thank you to the Ministry of Health for the opportunity to expand GeriMedRisk. Our vision is to optimize medications for healthier ageing, and to make that equitably accessible to all older Ontarians. In addition to providing care, we also build capacity within the health care system to care for complex older adults on multiple medications. We are grateful to our team who worked tirelessly during the pandemic and beyond, and to all our partners who made this work possible.”

 Dr. Sophiya Benjamin and Dr. Joanne Ho
Co-Executive Directors, GeriMedRisk

“It has been thrilling to see GeriMedRisk grow from a feasibility trial into an in-demand essential service across Ontario, exemplifying RIA’s incubation, acceleration, and mobilization model. These research initiatives ensure older adults receive the best medication management care and the development of innovative programs of care necessary to live a healthy and enriching quality of life.”

Dr. Tina Mah
Executive Director, Research Institute for Aging

EN: Ontario Connecting Seniors to Specialized Care and Support | Ontario Newsroom

FR: L’Ontario aide les personnes âgées à obtenir des services et des soins spécialisés | Salle de presse de l’Ontario