Implementing integrated care pathways for anxiety, depression and mild cognitive impairment in assisted living and retirement homes

Integrated care pathways (ICPs) are structured multidisciplinary care plans that detail steps in the care of patients with specific clinical conditions. The team’s current work aims to understand how the ICP for anxiety, depression and mild cognitive impairment can be implemented in a new setting, that is, in assisted living and/or retirement homes. Phase 1 consists of engaging with patients, caregivers/family members, health care providers and managers in a series of Mental Health Cafés to learn from their experiences that will help to understand current care and develop and translate the ICP to this new setting. Phase 2 will comprise the research study component to understand how best to implement the ICP and how to adapt the ICP to meet organizational and individual needs. Phase 3 will involve developing education materials and supporting tools for the ICP and sharing this information back to the homes.