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Background


Baycrest has a very unique and proud past. The organization opened its doors in 1918 as the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home thanks to the vision of a group of dedicated and committed women who volunteered their time to care for the frail elderly in the Jewish community. Since those early days, the spirit of volunteerism, the dedication and expertise of staff, and the respect for the elderly have been the foundations of Baycrest. The Centre has grown from its modest downtown Toronto roots to an internationally recognized academic health sciences centre located on an 18-acre campus on Bathurst Street. Each day, Baycrest addresses the needs of more than 2,500 people, including frail elderly individuals as well as active seniors.

Baycrest’s success can be attributed to a number of factors including its strength in:

  • Addressing the diverse needs of the aging population
  • Enabling the elderly to realize their maximum physical, psychosocial, and spiritual well being
  • Providing and facilitating services and programs to assist elderly people to live in the community and offering a supportive and caring environment if they cannot do so
  • Conducting activities in an innovative and fiscally responsible manner
  • Developing partnerships with clients, families, staff, volunteers, the community, and other care providers
  • Advancing knowledge of aging in cooperation with the University of Toronto and other academic centres
  • Recognizing the generosity and commitment of volunteers, clients, families and the Baycrest community
  • Attracting and retaining high quality and dedicated staff across all disciplines

Baycrest has a proud past of responding to needs of the community through a strong focus. That is in fact one of the roots of Baycrest. The strategic plans of the past have provided a roadmap to allow for thoughtful growth and development including the appropriate allocation of resources while ensuring the philosophy of the organization has been upheld. The result has been that Baycrest has grown from an organization known for providing care to the elderly, to an academic health sciences centre with a reputation for excellence in care, research, and education related to geriatrics and aging.

Baycrest, however, must continue to change and grow in order to respond to new needs and to new pressures. Key drivers include:

  • A rapidly growing aging population with increased demands for health care
  • A clear need for leadership in the area of brain disorders impacting the aging population
  • Increased competition for health care resources, both financial and human
  • Progress in disease prevention and health promotion as a result of research and education in geriatrics and aging
  • Social trends and advances in technology reflecting older people’s desire to age at home

For Baycrest the changing landscape provides an opportunity to sharpen its focus and review how it can best serve the needs of the aging population by leading from its strengths. Although this is an exciting opportunity, the realities of a financial deficit, full capacity on site, and competing needs mean that Baycrest must make wise choices. The focus and principles for these choices are clearly set out in this strategic plan in the form of goals and objectives for the next five years and beyond.

 

 

Baycrest Information