The population of older adults in Ontario is growing, and with it the need for health and social care professionals with the knowledge and skills to understand and work effectively with older people. A prepared and proactive workforce can deliver high quality care and prevent premature or unnecessary institutionalization. Healthcare approaches informed by evidence from older adult experiences, geriatric medicine, geriatric psychiatry and seniors’ mental health integrates complex physical, cognitive, social and mental health concerns frequently found among older adults. The Provincial Common Orientation reflects this integrated thinking.

Developed by Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario and partners from Ontario’s Specialized Geriatric Services (SGS), the Provincial Common Orientation is core standardized training, developed and delivered by health professionals with advanced knowledge about caring for older adults. This program is intended for a variety of audiences and helps to fill current knowledge gaps about the care of older adults living with complex health conditions (e.g., dementia, frailty, etc.)

This program’s design includes collaborative interactive learning that provides relevant, progressive professional development and facilitates ongoing connection to clinical supports. The content is organized in Tiers to enable learners to address specific learning needs and develop competence in the care of older adults through interactive learning. This course includes content related to Tier 1.

The Provincial Common Orientation includes three distinct activities (see links to asynchronous learning sources in the tab “resources” at the top of this page)

Activities of the Provincial Common Orientation: Self Study, Facilitated Learning & Ongoing Mentorship

This portal houses content related to the first three weeks of the Facilitated Learning Series which is focused on Tier 1. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate. If you are going on to complete Core Geriatric Knowledge for Interprofessional Teams (Tier 2), please return to “All Courses” and select that course to access the related content.

Materials included here are intended to support self study, and knowledge checks. Content housed here will be used during in-class sessions. In-class sessions related to Tier 1 are held virtually and weekly, once a week for three (3) weeks and support critical reflection and application of approaches to the care of older adults.

Upon completion of this course, which includes synchronous facilitated virtual sessions, learners will be to:

• Describe what older adults want (goals of care)
• Identify the roles and responsibilities of different partners on the care team (including caregivers)
• Recognize age related changes (e.g., normal aging, atypical presentations, etc.)
• Recognize and respond to ageism
• Identify techniques for communicating with older adults
• Define and discuss frailty (including prevention, screening and early identification)
• Understand how to do a functional inquiry