Care of the Elderly | Family Medicine | School of Medicine

Canadians are living longer than ever before. By late life, many have accumulated a number of medical issues and are living with or at risk of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, frailty, falls, or functional decline. Within Canada’s fragmented social and health care systems, family physicians are often the first point of contact for older adults struggling to navigate care and access support. Caring for elderly patients thus requires not only medical expertise but also unique knowledge of community and healthcare resources and the ability to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, adopt thoughtful communication strategies, and serve as an advocate both within and outside of traditional healthcare contexts. Older adults benefit from the patient-centred, community-adaptive, collaborative and continuous approach to care that defines Family Medicine in Canada.

The College of Family Physicians of Canada recognizes the evolving role of family physicians caring for older adults and is committed to improving health care for this vulnerable population. One strategy is through a one-year Category 1 Enhanced Skills residency-training program in Care of the Elderly. Family physicians who complete this program are eligible for a Certificate of Added Competence (CAC) in Care of the Elderly through the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

The Department of Family Medicine at Queen's University offers a fully accredited Enhanced Skills year in Care of the Elderly. Our program is geared towards physicians who wish to pursue additional focused training in the care of older adults and are in the process of completing the PGY2 year of their core residency training in Family Medicine in Canada. Certified family physicians already in practice and international applicants are also welcome to apply; however, funding for re-entry and Sponsored Residents (visa trainee) applicants is not guaranteed. Our program currently offers admission to one resident per academic year but can occasionally accommodate additional applicants. Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate a strong academic record and clear interest in and passion for the care of older adults.

Based at Providence Care Hospital in Kingston, our program is led by family physicians with CACs in Care of the Elderly but benefits from close relationships with our colleagues in Geriatric Medicine, Geriatric Psychiatry, as well as community-based family physicians and those working in long-term care. Because of our flexible curriculum design, there are opportunities to complete at least part of the year outside of Kingston.

The Care of the Elderly program at Queen’s has many noteworthy attributes, but we are particularly proud of our learner-centered curriculum, supportive learning environment, and beautiful recently-constructed clinical setting (2017), which overlooks the shores of Lake Ontario.

We are thrilled that you are considering embarking on your postgraduate studies in Care of the Elderly with us at Queen’s. To learn more about our program, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hin392zzbuM, or contact Program Director Dr. Kate Trebuss or Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator Dana (see Contact Us section below).

We welcome (but do not require!) residents who are interested in learning more about our program to join us for an elective. To inquire about electives in Care of the Elderly, contact the Division of Geriatric Medicine’s Departmental Assistant Andrea Semple directly at semplea1@providencecare.ca.