Our Process
Assessment
Prior to admission, we visit elders at home to develop an understanding of their circumstances, supports, relationships, and abilities. It’s only by meeting them where they are that we can begin to paint an accurate picture of who they are and what they are capable of—critical pillars of our person-centred, strengths-based approach.
Through informal conversation, we observe cognitive capacity, functional status, and the ability to engage interpersonally. We learn about each individual’s processes for making connections, their attachments, and their emotional resources. We combine this with a detailed life history, often taken with the help of family members, focused on interests, preferences, and values.
Our learnings are captured in a comprehensive Sagecare Abilities Assessment and Personal Psychological Profile.
The Sagecare Profile is the foundation for our placement recommendation. If an elder joins our community, it also forms the basis of their personalized care plan. Our multidisciplinary care team meets weekly to review that plan. The team, which includes family members, discusses novel experiences—both physical and emotional—and observations about strategies that are working and not working. We move from learners to experts by developing our relationship with an elder, noting subtle changes, recognizing patterns of behaviour, and tracking potential triggers.
The care plan is a living document, nurtured by many and revisited often.
Admissions
Making a life together is a big decision. When elders and their families are considering our community, we offer our unreserved advice about where their needs will be best served. We also weigh the impact they will have on other residents’ experiences. To maintain balance in our community, we must be selective in our admissions.
To be eligible, an elder must:
Be experiencing moderate to severe cognitive impairment
Be in stable medical condition (excl. chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease)
Have a Sagecare Profile that deems ours the optimal setting
Have the support of family and/or friends
Our general rule is to admit according to date of application and readiness to transition. We determine placement in a manner that preserves appropriate balance in the group.
