Sandra Shearme RN, MN
Windsor Regional Hospital
Windsor, ON
Rose Grant-Rennie MA, SLP, Reg Caslpo
Windsor Regional Hospital
Windsor, ON
The Geriatric Assessment Program (GAP) is an outpatient program designed to assist adults over 55 years of age with multiple health problems to get the assessment and care they need to be able to remain in their homes safely.
Many of the GAP clients do have visits to the Emergency Department (ED) for various reasons and receive the same type of assessment and some of the same tests that may have recently been completed through GAP. The GAP chart was a paper based chart and therefore the information it contained was only available to the GAP team. Continuity of care throughout the continuum was compromised. In March of 2009, all GAP client charts became electronic. This has now provided access to the information by all areas of Windsor Regional Hospital. This has proven to be a great benefit to the Geriatric Emergency Management (GEM) Nurse as this role is commonly the first to see the GAP clients when they enter the acute care system. This access has even assisted in the prevention of unnecessary admissions and has decreased the time these clients have had to spend waiting in the ED.