Category Archives: Uncategorized

I was able to come across several policy related documents for the province of Alberta, but the documents seem to be outdated with one being more than 15 years old. The only document below to make explicit reference to geriatric mental health was “Aging Population Policy Framework.” There were no benchmarks listed in this document,Continue reading “Alberta vs. Ontario”

As the same for Module 3, these interviews are intended for peer learning and are not to be shared with a broader audience. This interview was inspired by the Robinson article, which speaks to the anomaly of male psychiatric nurses. For context, George began his career (more than 30 years ago) in geriatric psychiatry andContinue reading “Nursing Anecdotes”

Hello! My name is Lauren, and I am the author of these blog posts. I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta – where I continue to live as I complete my online Master of Science in Aging and Health from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology fromContinue reading “About Me”

Sage, is a non-profit organization in Edmonton which has been supporting the older adult population since the seventies. Over the decades, this organization has been a champion in senior services. Sage has housing, social engagement, food services, fitness, and education programs. I had the privilege to intern on the board of directors for this non-profitContinue reading “Integrated Care Example”

People with schizophrenia can experience some unique symptoms including paranoid through process, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and flat affect (Horgan, 2019). Although this person is not an older adult, she does provide an interesting narrative for what being in a mental illness institution looks like. Lauren acknowledges that this was her own personal experience, andContinue reading “Sedation & Restraints”

Mortality from medical causes has greatly improved over the last 50 years thanks to biomedical research (Insel, 2013). However, suicide, one of the leading events of mortality, has not improved (Insel, 2013). Thomas Insel indicates that 90% of suicides are related to a mental illness (2013). Insel mentions that early detection and early intervention isContinue reading “Policy on Prevention and Intervention”

My parents spent the majority of their careers at what they refer to as “Alberta Hospital.”  This facility is located in the rural outskirts of Edmonton, Alberta and has experienced the wrath of deinstitutionalization. The facility was originally founded in 1911 and experienced many name changes such as Alberta Mental Hospital, Alberta Hospital for theContinue reading “Alberta Hospital”

My parents, George and Irene, were dedicated registered nurses, both working in geratric psychiatry (which is where they met in 1983).Collectively, they have spent nearly 50 years dedicated to their careers in this field. Throughout this blog, I will make reference to their stories regarding the subject matter throughout my posts.

In Chapter 1, of Aging and Mental Health, Segal, Qualls, and Smyer reference a paradigm shift in the way mental health services were delivered (2018). The authors note that, “inpatient services were shifted from state mental hospitals to private psychiatric hospitals, psychiatric units in general hospitals, and “swing beds” in general hospitals (Segal et al.,Continue reading “The 1970’s Public Policy of Deinstitutionalization”