History of Research at Baycrest
Since 1918, Baycrest has been devoted to enriching the quality of life of the elderly by providing care that is designed to specifically meet their needs and the needs of their families. In the mid 1980’s, the Board of Directors recognized Baycrest’s increasing role as an academic centre, and its unique and largely untapped expertise in the field of caring for the elderly. As a result, Baycrest’s mission statement was revised in 1983 to include “research and education in aging and finding better ways to meet the needs of the aged” as one of three key factors to achieving the overall goal of providing leadership in the development and delivery of the highest quality of service to the elderly in accordance with the values and principles of Judaism.In June 1986, the implementation of a research program was recommended to move Baycrest to the next stage in the evolution of its research initiatives and to accelerate the fulfillment of its overall goal of becoming a leader in geriatric care. The formal research program was inaugurated in January 1989 with the opening of the Rotman Research Institute (RRI) and the appointment of Dr. Donald Stuss as its Director.
Once the RRI had established its fundamental science programs, the focus of research at Baycrest was expanded to include translating findings from basic research into clinical practice, including evaluation of current treatment practices and exploring new ways for improvement of the quality of life of the elderly. The key initiative of this new focus was the creation of the Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit (KLARU) – an independent unit aimed at conducting applied clinical research. Established in 1996 with the integration of the existing Clinical Evaluation Unit and the Clinical Epidemiology Unit, KLARU was formally inaugurated in 1998 with the appointment of its first Director, Dr. David L. Streiner.
Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit – Improving Clinical Care
The mission of the KLARU is to foster excellence in clinically applied research focused on the prevention, rehabilitation, treatment, and overall care of impairments and disabilities arising from the natural course of aging and from disorders associated with aging. The research undertaken by KLARU scientists span a variety of disciplines including epidemiology, geriatric medicine, psychiatry, neurology, psychology, nutrition, nursing, social work, and occupational therapy.The philosophy of KLARU is to conduct first-rate applied research and to play a central role in Baycrest’s mission to have every clinical department or service provide the best, most efficacious and cost-effective services to its clients. One of the ways in which KLARU fulfills this role is through its implementation of evidence-based practice. This includes the promotion of a questioning environment within departments; changing clinical practices and attitudes towards care based on new knowledge arising from research; and establishing practice benchmarks as a basis for evaluation. In addition, KLARU’s multidisciplinary approach to studies of aging and neurological diseases, and its close association with the RRI fosters a broad perspective in examining issues, which ranges from basic research translated into clinical studies, subsequent implementation into the community, and finally evaluation for effectiveness.
Although relatively new, KLARU has made great strides in contributing to the body of applied clinical research not only through work undertaken at the institute but also by providing a platform for discussion of novel approaches to geriatric care. To date, KLARU has hosted six annual conferences on several topics focusing on improving the quality of care and life of the elderly. The conferences have continued to be well-attended as interest in translational research continues to grow, culminating in approximately 350 attendees at the last conference held in 2006.
KLARU has been in existence for just over eight years since 1998 and in that time significant strides have been made. All scientists within the unit have linkages with a clinical department in Baycrest and there is increasing scientific collaboration within the Unit and between KLARU and the RRI scientists. The high quality research of KLARU scientists is also receiving national recognition as evidenced by the increasing number of peer-reviewed grants from major funding agencies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Alzheimer Society of Canada. KLARU has indeed established itself has an exceptional institute for applied research and is on the path to becoming a leader in its field.