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Villa Caritas Legacy Story (PDF)

Facility Overview

Contact Information
Villa Caritas
16515 88 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5R 0A4

Phone: 780.342.6500
Admitting phone: 780.735.2701

Click here to view a map and get driving directions

The Acute Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Program is located at Villa Caritas. This 150 bed facility has 120 acute care beds divided into 4 units that are allocated for acute geriatric psychiatry patients, and a 30 bed geriatric psychiatry alternate level of care unit. Villa Caritas is a designated facility. Patients are admitted on a voluntary basis or involuntarily under the Mental Health Act.

Villa Caritas is not a permanent residence for patients.

This Acute Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Program is one component in the continuum of care which provides psychiatric treatment for a broad range of acute psychiatric problems.

Patients present with a broad range of moderate to severe psychiatric diagnoses including, but not limited to, cognitive disorders, mood disorder, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
Patients are admitted to the program based on their individualized treatment needs.
Patients present with complex psychosocial needs.
Co-morbidity of psychiatric disorders and medical conditions are common.

The program promotes a patient centered approach that involves the individual in all aspects of their treatment and recovery. The inpatient program provides comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment, individualized care and treatment to achieve maximum rehabilitation and optimal function. When patients are ready for the next phase of care, the care team ensures appropriate supports are in place to ensure successful reintegration back to the community.

Admission Information

Admission Criteria

Patients admitted will have acute psychiatric symptoms and/or moderate to severe behavioral difficulties which significantly compromises their physical and/or mental well-being.
Patients must be medically stable. As such, medical needs must be manageable on an acute psychiatric unit without access to urgent on-site medical support.
Age is not a specific admission criterion. Each referral is evaluated by the Villa Caritas Physician Group for the presence of geriatric syndromes that require a specialized environment for assessment and treatment.
Can be admitted as an informal (voluntary) or formal (involuntary) patient.
Formal patients must meet the following criteria to be admitted under the Alberta Mental Health Act:

The patient is suffering from a mental disorder
They are likely to cause harm to self or others, or suffer substantial mental or physical deterioration or serious physical impairment
They are unsuitable for admission to a facility other than as a formal patient

The geographical area served includes the Edmonton Zone and Northern Alberta including some referrals from Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Referral

Professional referral required
The Villa Caritas Physician Group assesses patient’s suitability for admission
The Villa Caritas Physician Group and Admissions Coordinator collaborate and prioritize all admissions
Referrals can be phoned in or faxed to the Medical Director’s office.
- phone 780.342.6552 or fax 780.342.6579

Clinical Services

Nursing Staff
Physicians
Social Workers
Admissions Coordinator
Transition Coordinators
Clinical Pharmacists
Clinical Psychologists and Psychometrist
Dietician
Occupational Therapists and Assistants
Physical Therapists and Assistants
Recreation Therapists and Assistants
Speech Language Pathologist
Chaplain

Recovery Care Plan

A recovery care plan includes clear goals based on patient/caregiver informed choices and specifies who is responsible for implementing/monitoring. Recovery plans are developed with patient and caregiver participation. Primary and other service providers receive regular communication regarding patient status to ensure appropriate coordination and continuation of care, and will be notified once goals are achieved and the senior is ready for discharge from the program.

Programs & services

Unit 1A & Unit 2B: Acute dementia

Unit 2A: Alternate Level of Care (ALC)

Unit 3A & Unit 3B: General acute

Patient & visitor information

General information

Request health information or health records

Update to Designated Family/Support Person and Visitor Access

Covenant Health acknowledges the social nature of care and the role of family as an integral dimension of the patient and resident experience. Therefore, at Covenant Health there is a presumption in favour of family presence as the standard of care.

Exceptions are necessary when patient, resident and staff safety, quality, privacy and other factors determine limitations.

Refer to the Designated Family/Support Person and Visitor Policy for more information about access and visitation.

Parking

Free visitor parking is available, including accessible parking stalls, in the main Villa Caritas parking lot.

Parking map

2021/22 Overview

Staff 428

Volunteers 127

Acute care beds 150

Our stories

Helping residents celebrate Christmas
Volunteers find new ways to give
Sessions help families navigate Alzheimer's
Connecting with someone who has dementia
Male seniors at increased risk of suicide
Four-legged care team
How to be healthier: just add people|
Mental health patients gain strength in mind, body and spirit
Demystifying dementia
Casting assumptions aside
Caring with comedy
Former patient transforms into super volunteer
Musician and athlete regains use of arm

Protective Services/ Lost & Found

Phone: 780.342.6540 or 780.735.2605 (After Hours Only)

Protective Services is on duty at Villa Caritas from 7 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. to keep our staff, patients and visitors safe. The Misericordia Community Hospital security staff provide after-hours security support to Villa Caritas.

Please send your valuables home (such as jewelry and unnecessary cash) for safe keeping during your stay. If you are unable to send them home, we can lock your valuables away until your discharge.

If you have lost any items, please ask the care team or contact Protective Services

Covenant Health would like to acknowledge that what we refer to as Alberta is the traditional ancestral territory of a diversity of Indigenous peoples and home to Treaty 6, 7, and 8. We honor the Blackfoot Confederacy – Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika, the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney Nakoda, the Tsuu T’ina Nation and the Métis People of Alberta. This includes the Métis Settlements and the Six Regions of the Métis Nation of Alberta within the historical Northwest Métis Homeland. We recognize and give thanks to the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations, all who continue to grace these lands, and all future generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting.