Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Team

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s (HDGH) Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Team (GMHOT) is a community-based program that works to enhance the mental health and well-being of individuals over the age of 65 living at home in the community, in long-term care homes and in retirement homes and exhibit significant mental health issues or challenging behaviours.

The program consists of comprehensive psychogeriatric assessment, psychoeducation, counselling and psychiatric treatment.

Goals

The goals of GMHOT are:

• To improve the health and wellbeing of older adults experiencing symptoms of mental illness.
• To reduce the need for psychiatric admissions and visits to hospital emergency departments.
• To enhance the knowledge and skills of family caregivers and caregiving staff of facilities.

Reason for Referral

You may be referred for counselling and/or psychiatric consultation from GMHOT if you are experiencing any number of the following: anxiety, depression or mood disorders; challenging behaviours usually associated with cognitive changes such as wandering, screaming, yelling and swearing; changes in behaviour such as physical or verbal aggression, sleep, appetite and interest; delirium; drug seeking behaviour; increased confusion; paranoia psychosis including hallucinations or delusions, resistance to care, sexual inappropriateness or disinhibited behaviours.

Referrals

All referrals to GMHOT must be submitted by a physician or nurse practitioner. Psychiatric consult reports are provided to the referring physician.

Cost

GMHOT is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Services are provided without direct costs upon presentation of a valid OHIP card.

Central Registration

Upon arrival to HDGH please present to the Central Registration Department, prior to proceeding to your appointment. Central Registration is located within the main entrance, across from the Courtyard Café.

Please arrive 15 min before your appointment in order to allow enough time to register.

Contact

Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Team

Toldo Neurobehaviroual Institute, CPH 3rd floor

1453 Prince Road

Windsor, ON  N9C 3Z4

Phone

519.257.5125 ext. 3 OR 519.257.5105

Fax 

519.257.5197 

Hours

Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Families’ and Friends’ Role in Promoting Safety

Family members and friends play an important role in patient safety.  Encouraging
attendance of appointments, taking medications and asking to be involved in
understanding and facilitating treatment plans is recommended among family
members and friends.  If family members and friends have serious concerns
about a loved one’s safety and well-being please utilize emergency (911) or
crisis hotline (519-973-4435) services or locations (nearest emergency room or
crisis centre) as needed.  You are always allowed to provide us with
information however we may not be able to relay information/feedback to you
directly.  For any important messages the hospital contact information is
provided on this website under the Contacts link.  
Thank you for your role in promoting safety.