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 2026-2027 fiscal year is open. Please 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:
Dementia: Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., January 7 – March 25, 2026
- Dementia: Screening, Assessment & Diagnosis
- Subtypes of Dementia
- Early-Onset Dementia
- 3Ds: Depression & Dementia
- 3Ds: Delirium & Dementia
- Responsive Behaviours in Dementia
- Driving & Dementia
- Psychosocial Care
- Flex- Responsive Behaviours of a Sexual Nature
- Pharmacological Approaches
- Dementia Prevent: Health Behaviour Change as First Line Medicine
- Caregiver Support
Essential Geriatrics I: Tuesdays 11:00 am-12:30 pm EST, April 7-May 12, 2026
- Dementia: Screening, Assessment and Diagnosis
- Responsive Behaviours in Dementia
- Consent & Capacity
- Delirium
- Advance Care Planning & Goals of Care
- Depression
Essential Geriatrics II: Wednesdays 3:00-4:30 pm EST, May 13-June 24, 2026
- Pain
- Continence
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- Falls & Bone Health
- Frailty
- Polypharmacy
Essential Geriatrics III: Wednesdays 3:00-4:30 pm EST, September 9-October 14, 2026
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Trauma Informed Care
- Sexuality & Intimacy in the Community
- EDI on Truth & Reconciliation
- Cannabis Use in the Older Adult
- Flex session (topic TBD)
Long-Term Care: Tuesdays 11:00 am-12:15 pm, October 13-December 15, 2026
- Responsive Behaviours: Strategies in LTC
- Acute Deterioration and Emergency Department Transfers
- Models of Care
- Engaging Families
- End of Life & Palliative Care
- Falls & Bone Health in LTC
- Sexuality, Intimacy & Dementia
- EDI session – Topic TBD
- Suicide Ideation Prevention and Risk Assessment in LTC
- Flex session – Topic TBD
Dementia: Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., January 6 – March 31, 2027
- Dementia: Screening, Assessment & Diagnosis
- Subtypes of Dementia
- Early-Onset Dementia
- 3Ds: Depression & Dementia
- 3Ds: Delirium & Dementia
- Responsive Behaviours in Dementia
- Driving & Dementia
- Psychosocial Care
- Pharmacological Approaches
- Dementia Prevent: Health Behaviour Change as First Line Medicine
- Caregiver Support
- Flex session – Topic TBD
*For a 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.