The Ontario Senior Friendly Hospital Strategy is an initiative of the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) of Ontario. The RGP of Toronto, along with our RGP partners across Ontario, has provided ongoing clinical leadership in support of this LHIN-led strategy.

Background Document - July 2010

In the summer of 2010, the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TC LHIN) assembled a Senior Friendly Hospital Strategy Task Group to help guide work on the LHIN’s priority of improving seniors’ health and wellbeing through reducing their functional decline in hospitals. The RGP of Toronto supported this work, and produced a background document outlining the need for hospitals to refocus the design of their care and service to account for the needs of frail seniors. In this document, the five-domain Senior Friendly Hospital (SFH) Framework - developed and endorsed by the RGPs of Ontario - was formally presented.

Background Document: Senior Friendly Care in Toronto Central LHIN Hospitals

LHIN-Level SFH Summaries

Using a SFH Self-Assessment Template with queries based upon the SFH Framework, summary reports for each of the province's 14 LHINs were produced, describing promising practices and areas for growth in Senior Friendly Hospital care. All adult serving hospitals in the province participated in this survey. The RGP of Toronto coordinated the regional efforts of all of the RGPs of Ontario in generating these summary reports and authored the following specific LHIN-wide summaries:

December 2010:

A Summary of Senior Friendly Care in Toronto Central LHIN Hospitals

June 2011:

A Summary of Senior Friendly Care in Central LHIN Hospitals

A Summary of Senior Friendly Care in Central East LHIN Hospitals

A Summary of Senior Friendly Care in Central West LHIN Hospitals

A Summary of Senior Friendly Care in Mississauga Halton LHIN Hospitals

A Summary of Senior Friendly Care in North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN Hospitals

Province-Wide SFH Summary - September 2011

The results of all 14 LHIN-wide reports were then aggregated and the RGP of Toronto authored a summary report of SFH care across Ontario, with recommendations for hospitals and LHINs across the province. These recommendations were based on evidence-informed SFH practices, the survey of provincial SFH activities, and expert opinion provided by the RGPs of Ontario SFH Steering Committee:

Senior Friendly Hospital Care Across Ontario - Summary Report and Recommendations