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PAGE 10, WEDNESDA'Y, FEBRUARY 25. 1976, WHITBY FREE PRESS Second hospital reorganization set for April i by BRIAN WINTER i Staff Writer Four years ago the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital under- went a major reorganization which provided the hospital h \ith wards from patients according to the geographic location from which they came. This year a second major reorganization is taking place which is a follow-up and 4 refinement of the changes made in 1972. Work has already begun on an eight-week program of shifting patients tô different ia wards, which will be com- pleted by April 1, says t Hospital Administrator Mil- ci ton J. Fisher, and there are l other changes in the hospital's ,e administration which will occur through the spring and early summer. "The aim of this reorgani- zation is to make the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital a more effective regional resource centre", says Mr. Fisher. "It ti defines programs and makesit c more possible to inform the )n public specifically of what we are offering". The hospital presently has 6 310 patients in four geogra- phic .units, Ontario Service (Oshawa, Whitby and Bow- manville), General Service (Victoria County, -Lindsay, Peterborough, and patients with no fixed address), Scarborough Service (Scar- borough, Pickering and Ajax), and York Service (Boroughs of York and East York, North York east of Yonge Street and the area east of Highway 11 to Lake Simcoe). These units were established in 1972.. By April 1, the 310 patients will be distributed among three -georgraphical units, (York, Scarborough and Durham), and a new rehabilitation unit, says Mr. Fisher. The size of the geographic units will be cut in half, he says, with about 50 beds in each, to accommodate a total of 150 patients. The remaining 160 patients will be relocated in a rehabili- tation unit with programs for independent patients, semi- independent patients, and those who require constant service. The emphasis of the reha- bilitation programs will be to hielp the patients cope with their problems, and some mîay be brought to the point where they could be placed in the community, says Mr. Fisher. Also to be completed by April 1 is a division of the psychiogeriatric medical unit into section for ambulatory and bed-ridden patients. Two other changes in the hospital's administration are to be carried out this year, according to Mr. Fisher. Plans are under way to increase and expand the hospital's assessment services to the community. At present the hospital does not actively assess all referrals from physicians,and handles many cases over the telephone. Mr. Fisher says he would like to have all patients referred to the psychiatric hospital given a physical and psychiatric examination by the hospital staff, who will then decide what should be done with the patient. This does not necessarily mean that he will be admitted, says Mr. Fisher. Mr. Fisher calls this a philosophical change where the WPH will become more like a general hospital in assessing referrals from the community. He expects•it will take three months to make the necessary changes in the assessment service, and have tie new program iin operation by May 1. Also in the works is a plan to increase the follow--up service for patients discharged into the community. "One of the complaints received by the hospital is that we discharged patients prematurely without any follow-up", says Mr. Fisher. "We are doing follow-up and will do more", he says. Plans are being discussed to use more business me5ithods in assessment and follow-up, and the lhoýpital is looking into the use of multiple copy business fornis says Mr. Fisher. He expects the follow-up service changes will take four to five months to complete, and should be in operation by June orJuly. The plan for the 1976 reorganization was prepared by a committee headed by the hospital's medical director, Dr. John Deadman, and included a psychiatrist, a unit director, director of Occupa- tional Therapy, assistant director of nursing, and a psychologist in charge of statistical analysis. To understand the 1976 reorganization, one, has to understand the 1972 reorgan- ization and what followed from it, says Mr. Fisher. The theory of the 1972 program was that the hsospital was experiencing problems with institutionalized patients, and by changing the wards around, and establishing treaîtrnent teams and staff development prograns, many patients could be placed in the community. This program, according to Mr. Fisher, was very successful. One hundred and thirty six retarded adults were transferred to the Durhani Centre for the Developmen- tally handicapped, making in total a net decrease of 285 patients, or about 70 a year. Mr. Fisher exp!ains. The hospital presently consists of about 100 patients in Ontario Service, 85 in General Service, about 70 in Scarborough Service, 95 in York Service, 105 in the psychogeriatric program, 10 to 12 in the adolescent unit, and three to 10 patients in the admission, assessment and community relations unit. Early in 1974 the hospital commenced a study of its patients, and the results of that study prepared the way for the 1976 reorganization. Mr. Fisher explains that the hospital has about 1,200 admissions a year, most of which are discharged within a short time. Of those that are involved in this turn-over, about 150 are in the hospital at pay one time. This, says Mr. Fisher,~means that of the 460 patients in the hospital in 1976, 150 are short-term and 310 are long- terni patients. "We are changing because we want to design programs to meet these two different groups--the active treatment and long-term", says Mr. Fisher. The aim of the new reorganization is to provide programs for these types of patients, plus the 125 geriatric patients who belong to a separate group on their own, he says. The 1974 study of in- patients reveals some interest- ing statistics about the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital. The study reports that 60 per cent of the patients arc male, 82 per cent are single, separated, divorced or widow- ed; 58 per cent have an education of Grade Nine or less; and 60 per cent are aged 50 or over. Sixty-five per cent have had one or two admissions to a psychiatric hospital, and 82 per cent have had one or more year in such a hospital. Eighty-two per cent are chronic patients whose condi- tion has 'not changed, 68 per cent are deficient in self-care skills and 58 per cent suffer from physical disabilities. The study shows that 37 per cent of the in-patients have niever left the ward on their own and 16 per cent have never gone on the grounds alone. Only 17 per cent could go into the com- munity alone, says Mr. Fisher, and 89 per cent have never eloped or run away. The study also shows that 39 per cent have never participated in any activities. The figures, according to Mr. Fisher, clearly divide the hospital patients into those who are long-term and those who receive active treatment and are soon discharged. He hopes that the new reorganization will provide better programs to deal with these two segnents of the patient population. Milton J. Fisher, administrator of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital, examines .the report prepared for the reorganization of the hospital to take place this spring. A number of changes are being made in the structure of the hospital to make it a more effective regional resource centre, he says. Free Press Photo ADVANCE BOOKING CHARTER FLIGHTS TORONTO TO COPENHAGEN -RETURN DURATION 27JULY 29DAYS 30JULY 32 DAYS 27JULY 15DAYS 30JULY 18 DAYS ST 31 AUGUST 21 DAYS ALL FLIGHTS: $359 DEPART 28JUNE 28JUNE 12JULY 12 JULY 10 AUGU LAST BOOKING DATE 14 MAY 14 MAY 13 MAY 13 MAY 11 JUNE - VIA NOROAIR DC8 - FOR RESERVATIONS CALL: R LAWSON TRAVEL (416) 597 697 BAY STREET TORONTO M5G 1N3 (OUT 0F TOWN DEPOSIT:. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: A non-refundable daposit fo $40 pet tst The $40 deposit is non-refundable. Thr s required asIbotime of booking. of fin lpayments ilt ncellatonr s ma FINAL PAYMENT:b . 62tina41 days of deprture or Thea balance is doe 62 deys beltre dapature. wtttin 62 deys of departura "'.". -0636 COLLECT) er mll be nonrefund n June lignts on July & August S Canadien Transport Cammtnoon end apponni by the. Air Transport Comn"titss Prima do«ne lt Inludtt aiSICnadien Transpotation Texandni$SCopoun nAqrport Tas. Students donate toys Nine students from Kath- leen Rowe Public School donated 15 boxes of used toys, games, books, dolls, and other items to the Glenholmne School for the Trainable Retarded in Oshawa last week. This is the first time the entire school has participated in the Glenholme Collection. For the past two years, Mrs. Faye LeBar's Grade three chiss held the drive by themselves. The nine students wvho donated the toiys on behalf of the school were: Angie Chisholm, Stacey Powland, Tracy Calderone, Peter Bird, Tini Avison, Arfona Zwiers, Alan Zwiers, Ken Brown and Scott Currier.