Hospital emergency departments can be overwhelming and frightening for seniors, especially those living with dementia, cognitive impairment, or sensory challenges. Bright lights, noise, and long waits often trigger confusion and agitation. This can contribute to delirium, increased risk of falls, and decline that can prevent seniors from returning home.
A new Island-wide initiative from Eldercare Foundation aims to change that reality.
Comfort Carts, delivered to 13 acute care sites across Vancouver Island, will provide comfort and support to seniors in emergency departments across the Island. They offer immediate, personalized support through thoughtfully selected items: soft blankets and neck pillows for physical comfort, pocket talkers for those with hearing loss, and sensory activities that calm and engage.
Research shows that comfort-based interventions can reduce anxiety, prevent agitation, and support recovery. As well, they can help prevent downstream complications such as falls, delirium, prolonged hospital stays, and inappropriate transfers to long-term care. By addressing distress early, Comfort Carts protect what matters most: the ability to age with dignity in one’s own community.
“We are working hard to improve the experience for seniors in emergency departments,” says Dr. Savannah Forrester, an Island Health emergency physician with a background in geriatric emergency medicine, and one of the program’s champions. “One of the most impactful components of this is the presence of a comfort cart. We are incredibly excited to have them placed in every emergency department across Vancouver Island.”
Eldercare Foundation developed this new program in partnership with Island Health clinicians and seniors’ health experts. Comfort Carts have been successfully implemented in several hospitals across Canada, and represent a proven, practical solution that benefits patients, families, and healthcare teams alike.
“Through collaboration, innovation, and support from our donors, we’re ensuring that older adults get meaningful interventions and a sense of calm during their most vulnerable moments,” says Eldercare’s Executive Director, Tom Arnold. “For more than 40 years, our mission has been to enhance quality of life for aging Islanders, but this program marks our first large, Island-wide initiative. Together, we’re helping Island seniors receive the comfort and dignity they deserve.”
Comfort Carts for seniors are now placed in 13 Emergency Departments across Vancouver Island:
- Cormorant Island Health Centre
- Cowichan District Hospital
- Lady Minto / Gulf Islands Hospital
- Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
- North Island Hospital – Campbell River
- North Island Hospital – Comox Valley
- Port Hardy Hospital
- Port McNeill Hospital
- Royal Jubilee Hospital
- Saanich Peninsula Hospital
- Tofino General Hospital
- Victoria General Hospital
- West Coast General Hospital