Primary Presenter

Mohammadreza Vafa, Iran University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Integration of health and social services can bring significant benefits when it comes to the health outcomes of older adults.  Extant literature suggests key factors can support integration efforts among collaborating health and social services organizations including leadership, culture, shared vision and goals, information sharing and communication, team-based care and performance measurement and accountability systems.  An exploration of successful Canadian-based integrated health and social care initiatives that support vulnerable seniors across Canada has been undertaken to determine the factors that support the success of their integration.  This exploration also examines the role that contextual factors such as healthcare governance models, funding models and public policies have on influencing the integrated initiatives.  Three integrated initiatives will be featured in this symposium. 

The Home-At-Last program is a coordinated, micro-level integrated health and social services initiative that seeks to transition seniors from the hospital setting into the home-setting in Ontario.  Healthy at Home is a multi-organizational integrated collaborative comprised of health and social services organizations that seek to address the well-being of vulnerable and high-risk seniors living in the community in Toronto through health promotion, and social support services.  The Geriatric Assessment Program Collaboratory comprises patient assessments, referrals to health and social care services, caregiver education, and health and social services provision that is comprised of health and social services partners in Camrose, Alberta. 

Presenters will provide an overview of these initiatives and offer perspectives on how collaborations across a diverse set of health and social care organizations can be made possible, and the challenges and factors that support such partnerships within the context of the provincial healthcare systems.