05/14/2026
As the population in the communities we serve continues to age, specialized care and understanding for elderly patients is more important than ever. That’s why this Nursing Week, we’re celebrating Annie and Sue, two nurses in the Geriatric Emergency Management Program at Southlake Health.
For 90-year-old Carl, visits to Southlake’s emergency department were unfortunately, frequent. Thankfully, Annie and Sue were there with friendly faces when he arrived. Trained to provide specialized assessment, advocacy, care, and referrals for elderly patients seeking emergency care, Carl’s daughter Renee remembers how both nurses went above and beyond to ensure her father got the right care for his unique needs.
“Being able to spend extra time with senior patients and learn about their lives, not just their medical history, can be very fascinating,” says Sue, who has been a nurse at Southlake for nearly 25 years.
“They helped my dad feel comfortable and listened to his concerns. They had him laughing. They don’t get recognized enough for what they do,” says Renee.
For Annie, who has also been a nurse at Southlake for over two decades, the Geriatric Emergency Management Program plays a key role ensuring elderly patients receive supportive care to enables them to return home. Even small acts of care make a huge difference in getting seniors back to the people and places they love.
“Despite the volume of patients in the Emergency Department, we remind ourselves that little things make a big impact. Being able to get seniors up and moving can reduce their length of stay in the emergency.”
For over two years, Carl received care in a number of departments at Southlake, including Emergency, Cardiac Care, Integrated Stroke Unit (ISU), and Southlake@home.
“At every stop, he was surrounded by people who went above and beyond — not just to provide care, but to give comfort, connection, and dignity,” says Renee.
Sadly, Carl passed earlier this year. But the care he received in the last years of his life provides his daughter Renee great peace.
“Losing him was heartbreaking, but knowing he spent his final months surrounded by people who cared so deeply brings me comfort. Because of everyone who cared for him, he left this world knowing he was valued and loved. Southlake’s nurses didn’t just care for a patient. You cared for a father, a husband, and a hero. Your kindness, skill, and compassion gave our family more time, more smiles, and more peace than words can ever express.”
This Nursing Week, Southlake Health Foundation celebrates all our amazing Southlake nurses, like Annie and Sue, and all our physicians, staff, and volunteers who touched Carl’s life, providing compassionate, patient-centred care when it mattered most.
Do you have a special nurse you want to recognize at Southlake Health? Visit southlakefoundation.ca/heroes to find out how.
