Enhanced Skills Program: Care of the Elderly Long Term Care Rotation Goals and Objectives
By the end of the rotation, the resident will be able to:
Medical Expert
- Recognize, assess, investigate and manage common acute and chronic medical problems in long-term care, such as heart failure, diabetes, dementia, wounds, falls, pneumonia, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and urinary incontinence.
- Recognize, assess, investigate and manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) using a PIECES template, with appropriate non-pharmacologic and if needed, evidence-based pharmacotherapy.
- Recognize the potential role of other health issues in the presentation of decreased cognitive performance in older adults, including in delirium, and manages these factors appropriately.
- Assess capacity of an individual to make treatment decisions. Appropriately seek consent from substitute decision makers when treatment decisions are required.
- Perform a comprehensive pain assessment and appropriately treats pain in the older person, being mindful of the benefits, adverse effects and risks of various treatment approaches.
- Review a medication list and optimally prescribes, incorporating an understanding of benefits and risks as well as patient’s goals, evidence and life expectancy.
Communicator
- Develop rapport, trust and ethical therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
- Accurately elicit and synthesize information from, and perspectives of, patients and families. Gather information about patient’s beliefs, concerns, expectations and illness experience.
- Accurately convey needed information and provide explanations to patient and families in a way that is understandable and encourages discussion and participation in decision-making.
- Develop a common understanding of issues, problems and plans with patients and families and provides and follows-up on a shared plan of care. Attempt to incorporate patient wishes even in situations of diminishing individual capacity.
- Recognize and manage communication challenges with older patients, including hearing impairment, low vision and impaired cognition.
Collaborator
- Participate in a collaborative team-based model and with consulting health professionals in the care of patients.
Leader
- Allocate finite healthcare resources appropriately. Apply evidence and management processes for cost-appropriate care
Health Advocate
- Advocate for individual patients around relevant health matters encountered in long-term care
Scholar
- Critically evaluate medical information, its sources and relevance to an LTC population.
Professional
- Demonstrate a commitment to their patients, profession, and society through ethical practice. Recognize and appropriately respond to ethical issues encountered in long-term care.
- Fulfill the regulatory and legal obligations required of long-term care practice.
- Demonstrate a commitment to physician health and sustainable practice.
- Demonstrate a commitment to reflective practice. Gather information about personal performance, knows one’s own limits and seeks help appropriately. Reflect on practice events, especially critical incidents, to deepen self-knowledge.