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Older Persons' Unique
Solutions
The "Baby Boom" consists of people born between 1946 and 1964.
This year, 2001, the vanguard of the baby boom turns 55 years of age.
Therefore, within the next 15 years, seniors will become the biggest cohort
group in North America, ever!
In response to this growing need, in 1999 the Centre formed Opus 55
- Older Persons' Unique Solutions. Margaret
Flower was hired as the Service Manager and Carl Kent was given a
2-day per week contract position. When Carl's contract was finished in
July 2000, Margaret was able to hire Helen Mcilroy
on a 1-year secondment from MAARS (Metro Addiction Assessment Referral
Service).
Who We Are
- Margaret Flower
- Margaret began her career in social services working for the Addiction
Research Foundation in 1983. At that time she was Executive Director
of COPA, Community Older Persons' Alcohol Program. OPUS 55 is based
on the 7-year research done by COPA. Margaret has also worked as an
EAP provider and has had a private practice. Prior to OPUS 55, Margaret
was on the original team that developed MAARS.
As well as carrying a clinical case-load, Margaret sits on the Diversity
Committee, the Ethics Committee, Common Occurrence - Imapact of Homelessness
on Women's Health Advisory Committee and Seeking Solutions: Canadian
Community Action for Seniors and Alcohol Abuse.
- Helen Mcilroy
- Helen came to OPUS 55 on a 1-year secondment from MAARS where she
had worked for 6 years. Helen's training is in counselling psychology
and she has worked in the addictions field for 19 years. She has done
work in a residential treatment centre and in outpatient programs with
youth and with the downtown homeless population.
As well as carrying a full clinical case-load, Helen is working with
Training and Education Department to put Choosing to Change online.
Choosing to Change is a workshop taught by Margaret Flower, all
over Ontario. It teaches healthcare workers how to identify and intervene
with seniors having problems with alcohol and prescription drugs. Choosing
to Change will be one of the first of the Centre's courses to be
available on the internet. If you would like further information about
this project, you are invited to contact Helen McIlroy at extension
6008.
Our Programs and Partnerships
At OPUS 55, we have an absolute committment to client-centered care.
As our name suggests, we work with the client to develop a treatment plan
which is unique to their needs, their life circumstances and their
current state of health and ability.
Examples of our client-centered care:
- OPUS has formed a partnership with the Riverdale Hospital whereby
Margaret can see clients at that location one afternoon per week in
their outpatient treatment clinic. Mobility and transportation are often
a problems for seniors. This partnership allows us to offer treatment
to seniors who live in the eastern part of Toronto a more accessable
venue. In return for this space, Margaret has done extensive training
with the staff at the Riverdale Hospital.
- Helen has been working with a client since August whom she has never
met in person. This client is the sole caregiver for her critically
ill husband and so receives her support and counselling over the telephone
so that she does not have to leave her husband alone.
- Clients in the OPUS 55 program grew up in a time when self disclosure
was not the accepted norm. They are often uncomfortable with the counselling
situation and cannot imagine themselves in group sessions. Therefore,
clients of Opus 55 are given a choice of group or individual counselling.
Often after seeing one of us for a few sessions, they are more comfortable
with the process and willing to go into group.
- OPUS has formed a partnership with Dixon Hall, providing services
one half day per week, for homeless men and women in the downtown core.
Inexchange for the space to meet with clients, OPUS 55 provides education
to the staff at Dixon Hall.
- In changing their use of alcohol or drugs, seniors often have issues
that are unique to their stage of life. These include retirement, health
issues related to aging, the diminishment of memory and cognitive ability,
financial insecurity, concerns about death and dying, to name a few.
OPUS 55 has therefore, developed an assessment that is different from
the standard assessment used at the Centre in that it recognizes and
addresses these issues related to aging.
- Margaret has formed a partnership with the Manulife Financial, who
focuses their citizenship program on healthier aging in the second half
of life, and who have provided funding for research into the area of
assessment of seniors. The goal of the research is to develop a screening
tool that will help healthcare workers evaluate and discover potential
problems with alcohol or drugs in senior clients.
- Because of the mobility problems experienced by many seniors, often
the only way to offer them treatment is in their own home. Therefore
OPUS 55 has formed a partnership with COPA, an agency that offers home
visits to seniors in the Parkdale area.
Research
Supported by funding from Manulife Financial, OPUS 55 and PACE (Psychogeriatric
Assessment Consultation and Education) are doing research, the goal of
which is to develop and evaluate a screening tool that will be used in
addictions, geriatrics and the wider health field, to identify older persons
with an alcohol misuse problem.
Location
OPUS 55 is located on the third floor of the west wing
of the ARF site. Please feel free to drop by anytime if you want more
information about our services.
Referrals should be made by calling the regular referral
line at 416-595-6128.
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1-800-463-6273
