"You provided my brother and me with a very sympathetic and understanding consultant who gave us useful advice about placing our mother in a long term care facility. I can recommend your services with confidence to anybody who needs help placing a loved one in a care facility." 
Michael Ignatieff

About Iris Consulting for Seniors

A Canadian first

In 1981 Jill O'Donnell formed Complete Geriatric Care (now Iris Consulting for Seniors), the first private sector organization in Canada to provide seniors, their families and their professional advisors with information, education, advice, advocacy and counseling regarding seniors' needs and issues.

Jill and her team founded the company because they too had aging parents and had lost loved ones. And, even though they were professionals in the field, they found the lack of compassion, time and the almost overwhelming complexity of the "seniors' system" so frustrating that they realized there was a need for a better way.

Helping families with elder care choices

In the beginning they started helping families sort through the maze of nursing home choices. In the 1980s, families had to do it all themselves without any help or direction.

Jill and her team helped these families with information and education. Their clients were able to find the best nursing homes and were assured their loved ones received the best care, allowing them to get on with their own lives.

Helping seniors stay at home

It also became apparent that seniors wanted to be cared for at home, just like they do today. Jill's team set up a new service to help people sort through the various options to help seniors stay at home. And they incorporated regular visits and telephone calls to the senior to keep the family informed of any changes. That was the beginning of modern senior care management.

Companies and agencies begin to use the services of Complete Geriatric Care

Organizations soon began taking advantage of these services, having Jill's team deliver seminars and workshops to provide information and education to employees, giving them the tools to balance their work and family needs.

Dementia is a growing concern with seniors

With Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia a growing concern, it became clear that older people with dementia did not fit well into retirement homes, but were not at the stage where they needed a nursing home. The team became consultants in the development of a number of residential homes for older adults with dementia.

Elderconnection--networking to assist elders

Many different professionals and individuals offer services and goods to older adults. The team decided to create a network to bring those people and organizations together. Elderconnection held its first meeting June 1994. Today, people from all over come to meet and learn more about shared topics of interest, about each other and how they can help their older clients.

Making the move needs more than just advice

The team came to realize that many seniors, when moving into a new, often smaller, location, need emotional support as well as help in choosing what to take, and in finding a mover who is senior-friendly, can pack up their precious items, move them, unpack and set things up at their new location. After much research into moving companies and moving issues, ElderMoves was created.

Sharing knowledge through a book, workshops and seminars

In 2004, Jill co-authored The Canadian Retirement Guide and The Retirement Guide (USA). An Australian edition is forthcoming in 2009.

After the successful launch of the book, the team developed a series of workshops and seminars for professionals (lawyers, accountants, financial advisors). The workshops and seminars help professionals gain insight into aging issues so they are better able to advise their clients.

Changing times requires a new structure and a new name. Complete Geriatric Care no longer fit with the times.

The world is changing, and the issues with seniors have become more complex. The team realized that they needed to expand and refine their services, to better serve the modern senior's needs. In step with the new mood of the public, the team decided it was time to retire the outdated, medical-model word "geriatric" from the company name. They decided on Iris. In Japan, it's believed the iris has the power to purify the body and protect the household from disease and evil. It stands for hope and wisdom. These attributes summarize the foundation of the team's beliefs. So Iris Consulting for Seniors was born.

The Iris Consulting for Seniors team

Iris Consulting for Seniors takes a team approach to caring for and advising seniors. To meet our team of associates, click here.