Tender loving care
Supported by caring donors, the Transitional and Lifelong Care team offer a helping hand to adults living with special health needs
As the founder and Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Transitional and Lifelong Care (TLC) program, physiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy works closely with people who have conditions that begin in childhood like cerebral palsy, spina bifida and developmental disabilities.
During her residency, Dr. Cassidy noticed that there weren’t any transitional care programs for people with these conditions after they turn 18. Pediatric programs wrap care around individuals and their caregivers – but Ontario hospitals did not offer any similar specialized care models for adults.
With a grant from the former South West Local Health Integration Network, Dr. Cassidy was able to bridge that gap and launch a unique specialized program for adults with lifelong conditions, sited at Parkwood Institute.
Today, the TLC program helps countless people “plan for life on the adult side”. The care team includes Dr. Cassidy and her colleagues Dr. Rachel Reardon, nurse practitioner Justine Jewell, social worker Elizabeth Hardy, physiotherapist Emilie Moynihan, occupational therapist Heather Dreise, registered dietitian Lindsay Vanderspank, speech & language pathologist Valerie Zouzal and rehabilitation assistant Sara Pollock. The team works collaboratively to provide outpatient services and compassionate support.
Some patients come straight into the Program from paediatrics, while others have taken a longer road to get here. “We have patients who’ve been out in the world after being discharged from paediatric care, but now in their thirties they’re having different challenges,” Dr. Cassidy shares. “They really appreciate getting connected back with a specialty service.”
Through the years, donors have stepped in to help fund equipment needs, research projects and training to enhance care in this area. Many donors have deep connections to the Program – like Jackie and Paul Madden. Their son Chris receives care at Parkwood with Dr. Cassidy and the team. Chris, who has spina bifida, is a sports fanatic who’s now living on his own and working in the community.
“People with conditions like spina bifida are now living active lives well into adulthood, and they have a unique set of challenges that go along with it,” Jackie Madden shares. “They need care, and they need someone who cares. And that’s where Dr. Cassidy comes in.”
Donating to the ever-evolving TLC program was an easy choice for their family. “We know that there are needs, whether it’s people needing equipment or research to validate this program,” she says. “We want to make sure that other people like Chris are well looked after as they go into adulthood. It’s so much more than just medical care.”
In 2024, donor support enabled new educational opportunities for the care team and their patients. Through a grant of $2,685, they were able to bring in Andrew Gurza, a sex and disability awareness consultant, to share his lived experience and lead an engaging presentation and discussion on sexual health – a topic that often gets overlooked. The session was a safe space for patients to discuss sexual health and helped the care team better understand their patients’ questions and clinical support needs.
Dr. Cassidy is grateful for the donors who allow the TLC team to really focus on what matters: helping people thrive. “Our patients are all wonderful and unique individuals, who deal so gracefully with challenges day in and day out,” she shares. “If we can do anything to make that a little bit easier, that's a privilege for us as their care team.”