New partnership creates successful transitions model
Bloorview and TRI aim to be hubs of excellence
Wednesday April 9, 2008 -- Camille Jensen
Bloorview Kids Rehab and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) have partnered to develop a successful model to help children who have a disability transition into adult services.

Bloorview and TRI, both HIROC subscribers, hope to ease the burden on children’s treatment centres by offering a seamless transition into similar services in an adult environment.

The need to create a more co-ordinated approach was first addressed by Bloorview who, due to the lack of adult services, provides healthcare to more than 800 adults.

Working with TRI, the two centres created the LIFEspan Service, a program that gives adults access to occupational therapists, physicians, social workers and physiotherapists in an age appropriate setting at TRI.

Joanne Maxwell, LIFEspan project co-ordinator at TRI, says the program fills an important gap. Prior to initiation of the LIFEspan service, accessing adult rehabilitation services in a non-acute setting was difficult and young adults were often slipping through the cracks.

The transition from healthcare at a children’s centre to the fragmented adult system also comes at a time when young adults are entering new stages in life and need rehabilitation services to learn how to manage their disability.

By offering a focused, multi-disciplinary approach, TRI will be able to prevent issues before they become a problem, decreasing the amount of unnecessary visits to the emergency and preventable hospitalizations.

The new program has been recently funded by the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) who says an integrated approach will result in better outcomes.

Laura Pisko-Bezruchko, senior director of planning, integration and community at the Toronto Central LHIN, says the new program offered at TRI recognizes that people who require rehabilitation services not only need hospital services but also community services, like recreational and life skills programs.

She says the approach will make sure adults with a disability receive a more holistic approach to maintaining their health.

The success of the new program has Bloorview, TRI and the Toronto Central LHIN recommending the model be adopted in other areas.

TRI and Bloorview are working to become a hub of excellence on the issue of adult transitions and are eager to provide resources and research development to other hospitals.

“We will be able to learn things about this population that has never been looked at before,” says Joanne Zee, programs manager of the neuro rehab program at TRI. 

“By having this specialized service we can disseminate this model to other centres not only provincially but across Canada and internationally.”

To learn more about the LIFEspan program, you can visit the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute website, or contact Joanne Zee at (416) 597-3422.

Is your hospital partnering to create better healthcare? Stories are often generated from the feedback we receive. Please share your thoughts by calling the newsroom at (800) 294-0051 ext. 24 or e-mail camille(at)axiomnews.ca.