People of Perley - Danny Sinden

From the moment Danny Sinden first stepped into Perley Health for a meeting, she knew it was a special place. “With its bright windows, abundant light, and friendly people, I knew this was a unique environment that I wanted to be a part of,” she recalls. As the Director, Centre of Excellence & Research Operations for the past five years, Danny has been the driving force behind the Perley Health Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™.

The Centre of Excellence showcases the impact of its innovative programs and services, perfectly aligning with Danny's ambitions. Her team collaborates with governments, hospitals, and other long-term care providers, sharing Perley Health's forward-thinking approaches to enhance care for older adults, Veterans, and individuals living with frailty.

One of the standout programs developed by Perley Health is “SeeMe®: Understanding frailty together.” This initiative helps staff design care plans tailored to the specific needs of residents and their families, keeping the residents' preferences and desired lifestyles a priority. “The feedback has been tremendous,” Danny notes. SeeMe® continues to receive praise from other healthcare professionals and front-line staff in the sector, and the success of the system has been recognized in peer-reviewed journals.

Under Danny's leadership and ambitious vision, the Centre of Excellence team at Perley Health is transforming care for Seniors and Veterans, not just within its walls, but across Canada, and their efforts have garnered widespread support from stakeholders. For instance, the Pressure Injury Tip Sheet, developed in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence, has positively contributed to conversations in long-term care homes across the province. These protocols are informed by Perley's ongoing quality improvement research in skin and wound care.

One particularly exciting initiative is current project exploring how new technology can enhance residents' quality of life. Through funding from the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) Discover + Adopt Program, Perley Health is piloting a device called “The Magic Table”. The technology consists of games and activities that are appropriate for all levels of cognitive ability, and residents are encouraged to engage with other residents, staff and caregivers while using the Magic Table.

Perley Health's reputation has also attracted interest from other organizations who want to work with the Centre of Excellence. The Public Health Agency of Canada chose Perley Health to collaborate on an antimicrobial stewardship project, building on Perley's existing research into clinical treatments for urinary tract and other infections. The project's results and best practice recommendations will soon be shared nationwide in an educational video.

These collaborative efforts exemplify the drive to transform senior care in Canada, Danny emphasizes. “With the number of seniors over the age of 85 expected to triple over the next few decades, the Perley Health Centre of Excellence has an opportunity to play an even greater role.”

“Embracing this opportunity to develop better models of care for older adults makes every day at Perley Health fulfilling,” Danny says. “The Centre of Excellence will continue to revolutionize care for seniors, one project and initiative at a time.”

 

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"When I came to Perley, I knew that it was a very innovative place to work. I knew that this was an organization that really thinks outside the box and my expectations have far exceeded what I anticipated.” - Danny Sinden, Director, Centre of Excellence & Research Operations