Niagara Region – The Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region (ASNR) and Niagara Medical Group Family Health Team (NMGFHT) are thrilled to announce that the Mobile Cognitive Assessor program is now operational and accepting referrals across the 12 municipalities of the Niagara Region. This innovative service, the first of its kind in the area, aims to significantly reduce wait times for cognitive assessments, providing more timely and accessible care to individuals with cognitive concerns. This new service is setting a precedent for innovative health care solutions in the region.
The Mobile Cognitive Assessor program is a collaborative effort between the ASNR and NMGFHT, supported by the the Niagara Ontario Health Team – Équipe Santé Ontario Niagara (NOHT-ÉSON), and funded through the Ministry of Health for primary care enhancement opportunities.
The program is designed to alleviate the burden on specialized geriatric services by managing less complex cases through a streamlined memory clinic model, allowing geriatricians to focus on more challenging cases.
“We are thrilled to offer this essential service to the Niagara community,” stated Teena Kindt, Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region.
“Our goal is to improve access to cognitive assessments and reduce the lengthy wait times that have been a significant barrier for many individuals in our region to receive a diagnosis.”
Currently, there are five primary care memory clinics in the region. Through strategic collaborations facilitated by the NOHT-ÉSON’s Dementia Care Working Group, all families in Niagara have access to memory clinic services as an option for a cognitive assessment.
The Portage Medical Family Health Team and the NMGFHT now offer memory clinic services to patients who are not members of their family health team through a referral from the individual’s family physician.
“The introduction of the Mobile Cognitive Assessor program is a game-changer for cognitive care in our region,” said Frank Ruberto, Executive Director of the NMGFHT.
“By increasing access to comprehensive assessments, we are making it easier for patients to receive the care they need promptly and effectively.”
The Mobile Cognitive Assessor conducts assessments in patients’ homes, which eliminates the need for travel and offers a more comfortable and familiar setting. This approach reduces patient anxiety, leading to a more accurate reflection of an individual’s cognitive abilities. The service is particularly beneficial for homebound patients who may have difficulty accessing traditional health care settings.
This expanded access ensures that cognitive assessments are available to a broader range of patients and addresses the current lengthy wait times for specialized geriatric assessments, which can exceed eight months.
A family physician can refer eligible patients by completing a referral form that can be found on NMGFHT’s website – https://www.niagaramedicalgroup.com.
