‘Anybody who has had a previous lifestyle is a candidate for supportive measures’
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 -- Natalie Miller
While people are living longer and entering long-term care older and with more complex needs, there’s also a younger population moving in to Ontario’s nursing homes.

Springdale Country Manor has a few residents who are under 60. Several OMNI homes have at least one resident who doesn’t fit the majority demographic comprised of 70- and 80-year-olds.

Factors including a brain injury or an intellectual disability are two reasons younger people are residing in long-term care. Those numbers could very well increase once three institutions for people who have intellectual disabilities close in 2009. About 1,000 residents will move into the community. Long-term care is just one of their options. It has proven, so far, to be the right choice for one former resident of Rideau Regional Centre in Smiths Falls, according to the staff at Forest Hill in Kanata, where the man lives.

Staff applied supportive measures, OMNI’s individualized approach to care, to help the man succeed in his new environment. While designed to support residents with dementia, Scott Ladoucier, a supportive measures specialist at Springdale, says supportive measures can help people with other conditions too.

“I think anybody who has had a previous lifestyle is a candidate for supportive measures.”

“Unless you’ve lived all your life in a nursing home, I can offer something. There’s going to be a lot of adjusting in my approaches depending on the individual’s needs.”

“The older residents can sometimes fall through the cracks,” says Scott, noting they tend to be quieter and keep to themselves.

“The younger residents are more open to dialogue.”

While all residents require individualized attention, it’s particularly the case for younger residents, Scott says. “It’s tough. It’s really individually-geared,” says Scott. “That starts right from the day of admission.” As a supportive measures specialist, Scott spends his entire shift focusing on a new resident upon the individual’s admission to long-term care. He’s looking for clues about past lifestyle and history. He’s exploring ways to make the transition to long-term care as comfortable as possible.

For instance, he has teamed up one younger resident who has an extensive DVD collection with older residents who share the same entertainment interests.