Inauguration of the first Healthy Aging Clinic in Dieppe
Vitalité Health Network marked the opening of the first Healthy Aging Clinic in Dieppe, an initiative intended to meet the growing needs of seniors.
The facility, located at 665 Champlain Street, will offer comprehensive and coordinated assessment and rehabilitation services for people aged 65 and over.
The creation of an ambulatory clinic dedicated to senior services is a first for the Network.
Patients will find in a single location a range of care and services necessary to maintain their autonomy and quality of life at home.
Spanning more than 8,000 square feet, the building will house several assessment rooms as well as rehabilitation and group training rooms specially designed to meet the needs of patients.
The clinic’s interdisciplinary team will include physicians, nurses, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a speech-language pathologist and a social worker.
"The clinic will offer appointments by medical referral only. Access to all the services offered by the Network will also be available to ensure optimal follow-up care, " explains France LeBreton, Corporate Director of Seniors’ Health.
In addition to improving access to care, this new offering will also aim to prevent hospitalization and enable certain patients to be discharged sooner.
“There will soon be more than 200,000 people aged 65 and over in New Brunswick. Our system must evolve to adapt to the demographic realities and the needs of our population, today and tomorrow,” emphasizes Sharon Smyth Okana, Vice-President of Client Programs.
This Healthy Aging Clinic aligns with the Network's broader vision to implement this model in each of its four zones.
Medical assessment clinics for seniors are already in place at the Enfant-Jésus RHSJ† Hospital in Caraquet and at the Campbellton Regional Hospital. A second phase is planned to integrate rehabilitation services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social work), providing patients with even more comprehensive care.
Photo caption: Yvon Lapierre, mayor of the city of Dieppe, Robert Gauvin, Minister of Public Safety, Natacha Vautour, MLA for Dieppe-Memramcook, France LeBreton, director of Seniors’ Services, Dr. Guylaine Chiasson, geriatrician, Karine Roussel, regional manager of Geriatric Health Clinics, Lyne Chantal Boudreau, Minister responsible for Seniors, and Sharon Smyth-Okana, vice-president – client programs.
