Putting the 'Breaks' on Osteoporosis
- February 2008
- Français
Nick Rempel, 87, recently broke his wrist and is a first-time patient at the Osteoporosis Screening Clinic, being assessed by Co-ordinator Lisa-Marie Harney.
Osteoporosis is the single greatest cause of broken bones among men and women over the age of 50 and the Niagara Health System (NHS) hopes to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis and related fractures in Niagara through a new program launched in partnership with Osteoporosis Canada.
With screening programs now operating in NHS fracture clinics at Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland hospital sites, patients from across the region have close to home access to a variety of services, including referrals for bone density testing for the disease, education on bone health, and follow-up care after a fracture.
"This is an important service to provide our community, especially in light of the fact that we have such a high number of seniors living in Niagara," says Anne Atkinson, Vice President, Patient Services.
Lisa-Marie Harney, Osteoporosis Screening Co-ordinator, sees up to 50 patients each week. These patients range in age from 50 to 91 years old and come to the clinics from across Niagara.
"During the winter months, the number of seniors with fractures tends to increase due to black ice and slippery conditions outdoors," says Lisa-Marie. "It is unfortunate but not unusual to see an increase in the number of seniors slipping on driveways, roadways, sidewalks and stairs this time of year."
One of those patients is 87-year-old Nick Rempel (pictured) who recently fell outside the retirement home where he and his wife live and fractured his left wrist. He has made his first visit to the Osteoporosis Screening Clinic. "As soon as you break something, you have a problem," Nick says. "I'm here to prevent this from happening again."
"The patients I am seeing are very open to this new program and the services we provide," Lisa-Marie says. "They want to learn and be more aware of their health so they can take a more active role in disease prevention. This service provides patients with an opportunity to be involved in their health and wellbeing through education and empowerment."
Lisa-Marie screens and identifies all men and women aged 50 years and above (those under 50 years of age will be seen with a physician referral) who have sustained a low-trauma fracture which may have been attributed to osteoporosis and provides appropriate support to connect these patients with primary healthcare and community-based services as needed. The health professionals develop a complete program for patients to minimize their risk of complications and encourage a healthy, active life.
In addition, each clinic is supported by its own orthopedic physician champion, who acts as a resource for the Osteoporosis Screening Co-ordinator and hospital staff, among other responsibilities. These physicians are: Dr. Robert Josefchak at St. Catharines General Site; Dr. Bartel Le Roux at Greater Niagara General Site; and Dr. Parvez Ansari, at Welland Hospital Site.
"I commend our health-care team for working so hard to implement this new program," says Anne. "Osteoporosis Canada has been a valuable partner throughout the establishment of the three screening programs, and we look forward to our continued partnership through this new program that will raise awareness, improve diagnosis and prevent future fractures. I also thank our three orthopedic surgeon champions for their support and expertise as we work together to improve the quality of life for Niagara residents."
Osteoporosis is usually associated with the aging process. It is estimated that one in four women and one in eight men over the age of 50 has osteoporosis. It is a debilitating condition, in which bones become less dense and break more easily, that is both preventable and treatable. Prevention is by far the best strategy to fight osteoporosis, and that means keeping the bones strong as the weakening of bones increases risk of fractures. Bone loss occurs without symptoms, and fractures most frequently occur with hips, wrists and spines.
In February 2005, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced the launch of Ontario's first osteoporosis strategy. This strategy has five key components: health promotion, screening, post-fracture care, professional education, and research and education. Osteoporosis Canada is playing a significant role in implementing this multi-pronged strategy along with other stakeholders, such as the NHS.
Under this new program, Osteoporosis Canada is funding the costs of the screening co-ordinator.
"Osteoporosis affects more than 1.4 million Canadians, including 530,000 people in Ontario," says Lisa Campbell, Area Manager with Osteoporosis Canada. "Less than 20 per cent of patients who have an osteoporosis-related fracture receive follow-up care, and the partnership between Osteoporosis Canada and the NHS is striving to increase the number of patients who receive follow-up care."