About Project ECHO Care for the Elderly 

Project ECHO (Extension of Community Health Outcomes) Care of the Elderly launched  on October 30 2017 with the vision to enhance the quality of care to older adults in Ontario, by improving the knowledge and skills of primary care providers in meeting the healthcare needs of older adults.

ECHO Care of the Elderly aims to  connect primary care providers and healthcare professionals to an interprofessional team of geriatric specialists through weekly videoconferencing sessions.

Registration for all of the upcoming ECHO Care of the Elderly (COE) series in 2024-2025 fiscal year are now open. Click here to apply. The session topics and date/time for each series is provided below. Please see “Apply to ECHO COE” for further information.

Curriculum for the ECHO COE Series:

ECHO Clinic Sessions will consist of didactic presentations on topics, such as:

Essential Geriatrics I: Tuesday’s, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., April 2 – May 7, 2024

  1. Dementia: Screening, Assessment and Diagnosis
  2. Responsive Behaviors  in Dementia
  3. Consent and Capacity
  4. Advance Care Planning
  5. Delirium
  6. Depression

Essential Geriatrics II: Tuesday’s, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., May 14 – June 25, 2024

  1. Pain
  2. Nutrition
  3. Sleep Disorders
  4. Continence
  5. Falls & Bone Health
  6. Polypharmacy
  7. Frailty

Essential Geriatrics III: Wednesday’s, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., September 4 – October 2, 2024

  1. Parkinson’s Disease
  2. Cannabis Use in the Older Adult
  3. Sexuality
  4. Falls and Bone Health
  5. Delirium

Long-Term Care: Tuesday’s, 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., October 8 – December 10, 2024

  1. Responsive Behaviors in Dementia strategies in LTC
  2. Reducing Compassion Fatigue
  3. Models of Care and Emotional Related Care
  4. Flex session
  5. Engaging Families
  6. Acute Deterioration (ED transfers)
  7. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
  8. Falls & Bone Health (Managing Osteoporosis)
  9. End of life and Palliative care
  10. Sexuality, Intimacy and Dementia

Dementia: Wednesday’s, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., January 8 – March 26, 2025

  1. Dementia: Screening, Assessment and Diagnosis
  2. Subtypes of Dementia
  3. Early Onset of Dementia
  4. Dementia Prevention
  5. Psychosocial Care
  6. Driving & Dementia
  7. Caregiver Support
  8. The Canadian Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (CICA) Tool: An Indigenous Community-Informed Case Finding Tool
  9. Pharmacological Approaches
  10. Responsive Behaviors in Dementia
  11. 3Ds: Depression and Dementia
  12. 3Ds: Delirium and Dementia

*For list of topics already covered, please view Didactic Curriculum page(s).

 Vision, Mission and Scope

The objectives of ECHO Care of the Elderly include:

  • To equip primary care providers to provide more comprehensive care for their frail complex aging patients
  • To utilize existing telehealth and tele-education services at Baycrest to facilitate geriatrics training to primary care providers across Ontario, particularly in remote, underserved areas
  • To meet the demand for care of Ontario’s aging population by expanding the reach of Baycrest’s expertise in care of the elderly

 How ECHO Works

  • Register for ECHO.
  • Prior to the session:
    – Participants will receive an e-agenda the day before the session, with resources and a  link to the session.
    – Participants ensure they have the equipment required to participate (stable internet connection, computer, webcam & microphone or iOS phone with phone connection).
  • During the session:
    – Sessions have 2 parts: 1. A short didactic presentation given by a subject specialist and 2. De-identified patient cases presented by participants.
  • After the session:
    – Participants complete a weekly feedback survey.